


Once Upon A Duet

by emeraldgirl503



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-05
Updated: 2015-03-05
Packaged: 2018-03-16 10:16:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 84
Words: 107,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3484523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emeraldgirl503/pseuds/emeraldgirl503
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kurt and Blaine have both been living in NYC since college, but they've never met. That all changes one night in a karaoke bar...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a cross-post from FF. The story is already completed (except the epilogue, which will be done soon), so I will basically be putting up as many chapters as I can at a time until it's all caught up.
> 
> Thanks for reading!

Kurt pushed open the plain metal door under the nondescript wooden sign, painted white with faded and peeling red lettering that simply read "WARBLERS." A smaller sign, clearly handmade and added as an afterthought, hung below it and said, "Karaoke."

Inside, the décor was exactly as the sign suggested it would be: plain and unassuming, the bar was the epitome of the expression "no frills." The walls were painted a dark gold color, with random markings and scuffs in various spots proving it had been a long time since a fresh coat of paint had been applied. The bar itself was just a long, simple, rounded wooden bar, dominating most of the space directly inside the door. To the right of the bar, a series of small wooden tables and chairs that had clearly seen better days surrounded an open area that was meant to serve as a dance floor. Along the far wall, though, was the reason Kurt and Rachel frequented this little hole-in-the-wall: a stage stretched the length of the room, with karaoke equipment set up. At the corner of the stage, a DJ stood behind a booth, taking sign-ups for karaoke while playing an assortment of music, mostly of the pop variety.

Though the bar didn't have much in the way of atmosphere, it always seemed to be pretty crowded, probably a testament to the lack of a cover at the door and the relatively cheap (at least for New York City) drink prices. Tonight was no exception, and Kurt felt Rachel slide her hand into his to avoid getting separated as they pushed their way toward the bar.

Kurt still wasn't sure how Rachel had stumbled upon the bar years ago when they were still in school, but he was glad she had. It had become something of a regular Friday night hangout for them. After a long week of failed auditions and jobs that were not nearly fulfilling, coming here and belting out a song or two in front of Warblers' usually boisterously supportive crowd was a great way to blow off some steam.

Kurt continued pulling Rachel through the crowd until Santana, the bartender, caught sight of them. As she poured drinks for another customer, Santana nodded at them in greeting. As soon as the other customer had paid, Santana brought over their usual drinks. "I'll put it on your tab?" she shouted to confirm, and Kurt nodded and thanked her.

Handing Rachel her drink, Kurt pulled them out of the crowd around the bar. They both paused at the edge of the dance floor to scope for an empty table.

"There!" Rachel shouted, pointing across the room. They started pushing their way toward the empty table, but two men, one with shaggy blond hair and one with barely tamed black curls, made it there first. Kurt stopped abruptly and Rachel bumped into his back.

"Darn," Rachel muttered as she peered around his shoulder and saw what had happened. "But I think I see some chairs over there."

She started moving in that direction, but Kurt wasn't paying attention. Even though he was all the way across the dark bar and all Kurt could see was his profile, something about the dark-haired man had Kurt temporarily frozen in place. If it hadn't been for Rachel's repeated yanks on his arm, Kurt probably would have stayed there staring for hours. In fact, Kurt could even ignore Rachel's yanks, but her shout of, "Come on!" snapped him out of his reverie.

He followed her to the chairs near the stage, barely suppressing the temptation to walk backwards just so he could try to get a better look at the dark-haired man. He couldn't figure out why he was so fascinated – maybe he was just lonely; maybe the guy reminded him of someone; maybe it was just the alcohol he and Rachel had already consumed before coming out tonight… but it didn't matter, because there was no way he was going to do anything about it. He was here for one thing and one thing only: karaoke.

When they reached the table that Rachel had spotted, she grabbed a chair and flung her purse onto the other to reserve it, while Kurt dropped his drink on the table and headed straight for the DJ. Years ago, when Rachel had first discovered Warblers, she and Kurt had spent two weeks carefully selecting a signature song for each of them before they came back. Once they had chosen, they had made an unspoken rule that unless otherwise stated, those would be their first songs of the night. Since Rachel hadn't said anything, Kurt knew she would do "Don't Rain On My Parade," while he would stick with his usual opening number, "Blackbird."

Mercedes, the DJ, had her back to him as she queued up some music and signed up a couple for karaoke. Kurt waited until she was done before speaking. "Let me guess: 'A Whole New World'?" he asked, tilting his head in the direction of the couple who had just left.

"Hey, baby!" Mercedes said enthusiastically, reaching out to give him a hug in greeting over the top of her table. "And you got it. They're the third couple to request that this evening – I had to break the bad news to them that I don't allow repeats. Unfortunately, that meant they chose 'Endless Love' instead."

Kurt shuddered. "I hate that karaoke has effectively destroyed every good love duet out there. I have strongly unpleasant memories attached to every single one."

"Tell me about it. I can't even hear Aladdin's name anymore without cringing. Totally ruined my favorite Disney movie," Mercedes sympathized. "At least I have you and Rachel to guarantee me some moments of decent talent." Then she glanced over at the clock. "Though you guys had me worried – you're late."

Kurt glanced over at the clock. Karaoke started at 10, probably to give people sufficient time to consume some alcohol and work up their nerves, and it was already 9:50. Usually he and Rachel got here earlier to reserve their songs and perform earlier in the night. That way they could have some time to regroup before performing again later in the night, if they so chose.

"I know; it's my fault. I couldn't find my hippo brooch, and this outfit just wouldn't have been complete without it." Kurt gestured at his outfit as if to highlight its excellence. "Just please tell me I'm not too late and I didn't ruin anything, because Rachel already spent the entire subway ride here detailing the numerous ways she would exact her revenge if I messed everything up."

Mercedes smiled warmly. "Don't worry, I've got you. I signed you guys up when I got here, assuming you'd show eventually. All is well."

Kurt exhaled a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" He clapped his hands together and bounced in excitement. "You just saved my life. Seriously. Even with my rigorous skin-care regimen, these hands could not handle the volume of dishwashing Rachel was threatening."

Mercedes grabbed one of Kurt's raised hands and squeezed it in hers. "Anything for my favorite regulars." Then she grinned. "So what's your guess for tonight's Journey bet?"

Since they were such frequent customers of the bar, Kurt and Rachel had somehow been inducted into the staff's karaoke pool on how many people would want to sing "Don't Stop Believin'" before the night was over. They had a running score going, and at the end of the year, they got together at the bar while it was closed, and the winner got to pick songs for everyone else to perform. So far, nobody had heard Santana sing – she was shockingly accurate and impossible to beat. She insisted it was just an extension of her abilities as a bartender to "read people and know how many of them are boring enough to request perhaps the most obvious karaoke song in the world."

"Well, if you've already had 3 'Whole New World' requests and karaoke hasn't even started, I'm going to go high." He paused to consider. "Do you think 15 is too high?"

Mercedes laughed. "I'm not going to help you!"

Kurt gave her his best pleading look. "Come on. One of us has to beat Santana this year. You know she'll find a bunch of really hideous songs and make us sing them. We might have a shot if we band together."

Mercedes shook her head with a smile. "Nope. Sorry, babe. You're on your own."

Kurt reached out and grabbed her hands in desperation. "Last year I had to sing the Love Boat theme song! In a ridiculous sailor costume! The Love Boat, Mercedes!"

Before Mercedes could reply, another group approached the table to sign up for karaoke. "Rachel's third, you're fifth," Mercedes said quickly before blowing him a kiss and turning to the new group.

With a quick wave, he returned to the table to let Rachel know they were all set.


	2. Chapter 2

Blaine watched the chestnut-haired man interacting with the DJ across the room. Even from this distance, he was quite possibly the most beautiful man… no, not even man, because that still didn't do him justice… he was quite possibly the most beautiful _person_ Blaine had ever seen in real life. With his delicate bone structure, perfectly coiffed silky-appearing locks, and an outfit that highlighted his tall lithe form to perfection, Blaine almost wondered if he was hallucinating. He was like a man out of a fantasy.

"Yo, dude, are you even listening?" Across the table, his best friend Sam was frowning at him, which meant he'd probably been talking for a while and Blaine hadn't heard a word, too busy staring at the impossibly perfect man across the bar.

Blaine blinked a few times and shook his head to try to clear it. "Sorry," he offered, with an apologetic smile. "What were you saying?" Despite his resolution to focus on Sam, he couldn't stop his eyes from drifting slightly to the left to continue watching the interaction at the DJ booth.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I was just venting anyway, so it doesn't really matter." He picked up his beer from the table and lifted it to his mouth.

"Hey, who's that guy talking to your girlfriend?" Blaine asked, nodding his head in the direction of the DJ booth.

Sam turned and looked over his shoulder, then shrugged. "Dunno."

"He seems to know her pretty well," Blaine observed as he watched Mercedes quickly grab the man's hand.

"Mercedes knows everyone pretty well, so it's hard to keep track of them. We've been together what, like 8 years now, and I still don't think I've met all the people she considers her best friends," Sam replied. Then he narrowed his eyes at Blaine. "Why? Are you interested? Because if you are…"

Blaine shook his head. "No!" he protested, maybe a bit too quickly, because Sam just looked skeptical.

"Look, buddy, it's been over a year since you finally realized Sebastian was an evil, lying, cheating…"

"Let's not talk about Sebastian," Blaine interrupted quickly.

"I'm just saying, it's about time you started looking at other men…"

"I'm not interested!" Blaine insisted, a bit more vehemently. "I was just… worried… for you…" he covered quickly.

Sam scoffed. "Blaine, just because Sebastian was an evil, lying, cheating…"

"Sam!"

"…doesn't mean my girlfriend is. Mercedes and I are solid. I trust her completely." Sam twisted to look back over at the DJ booth, just as Mercedes blew a kiss at the stranger. "Plus, that guy is obviously gay."

Blaine gave him a disbelieving look. "How would you know? You have the worst gaydar. Remember that time we went to a gay bar and you insisted that the guy giving you his phone number was straight and just looking for new friends?"

"First of all, you need to stop using that story as proof, because that was like a week after I moved to New York, and I'm still not convinced that guy wasn't just dragged there with a friend. And second of all, even if my gaydar was defective, I'm not blind. That guy is so obviously gay. He's way too well-dressed to be straight."

"You're well-dressed sometimes, and you're straight," Blaine pointed out.

"Yeah, sometimes, when I'm at work and someone else picks out my clothes for me. Off the clock, you couldn't pay me enough money to look that put together." He looked pointedly down at his loose polo shirt and khaki cargo pants, before glancing back over at the DJ booth. Mercedes saw him and waved, a big smile on her face. Sam pushed back his chair and started to stand. "I'm going to go say hi to my girlfriend."

Blaine stretched across the table and grabbed Sam's arm. "Stop it. I know what you're doing. You're going to go ask her about that guy, and then come up with some really silly way to introduce us that ultimately leaves me looking ridiculous and feeling embarrassed, which will destroy the really, really slim chance I could have had with that guy."

Beaming, Sam sat back down. "Aha! So you _are_ interested!" Then he looked affronted. "Wait, are you saying I'm not a good wingman?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Blaine agreed without any hesitation.

"Hey! I am a totally great wingman!" Sam defended. "Remember that time I introduced you to that really hot guitarist in that band we went to see? He gave you a phone number!"

"Yeah, to the local precinct, which he got off a crime tipline poster hanging behind us."

"It was still a phone number you wouldn't have gotten if I hadn't introduced you," Sam pointed out.

Blaine rolled his eyes, then looked back over at the beautiful man who was now deep in conversation with a perky brunette girl at a table across the bar. "I'm serious, Sam. I don't want you interfering. Like you said, it's about time I started at least looking at people again. I looked. That's enough for now."

Sam settled back in his chair and sighed. "Fine, man. You're off the hook for tonight. But you really have to get back out there."

Blaine picked up his beer. "I know. I will. Soon."

Sam seemed satisfied with that, giving a slight nod.

Up on the stage, Mercedes announced the first karaoke performer. They both sat back in silence for a moment while a group of college-aged kids broke into "Don't Stop Believin'".

Sam glanced back at Blaine as they neared the end of their song. "What do you say? You gonna sing tonight?"

Blaine shook his head. "Not a chance."

"Come on, it's a karaoke bar!" Sam cajoled.

"Which I only came to because you told me you missed your girlfriend and wanted to see her," Blaine reminded him. "And I still don't understand how you can miss someone you live with. Don't you see her every day?"

Sam looked over at his girlfriend, who was welcoming the second act to the stage, and smiled softly. "Sometimes that's not enough. Between our schedules the last few weeks, with her recording sessions for her album and her night shifts here and my unpredictable shooting schedule, we've rarely both been in the apartment and awake at the same time." Even as the second performer, a guy who immediately launched into a slightly off-beat version of "Baby Got Back," took over the stage, Sam's eyes didn't stray from his girlfriend. Feeling a little voyeuristic as he observed the tenderness in Sam's gaze, Blaine picked up his beer and turned to face the stage a little more fully.

He couldn't help it if that also put a certain chestnut-haired specimen of human perfection more in his line of sight. The odds of him seeing the man ever again were slim to none in a city the size of New York, so he might as well get the most out of tonight as he could. He may never have someone to look at the way Sam looked at Mercedes, but he could at least have this one night to observe the most beautiful person on the planet and let that fuel his romantic daydreams.


	3. Chapter 3

Kurt gave Rachel a commiserative smile when she made an exaggerated grimace and tilted her head in the direction of her preceding performer, who was currently destroying the song "Baby Got Back." She was up on the stage awaiting her turn, and given how terrible the current performance had become, Kurt had no doubt that she would look like the superstar she was in comparison. Poor guy. He probably wouldn't be signing up for karaoke again any time soon. Kurt just hoped he was as drunk as he seemed, so he wouldn't remember this humiliation tomorrow.

The performance finally ended, and Mercedes took the stage again. "Well, that was certainly… special," she said, clearly trying not to say too much. "And next up, we have one of our favorite karaoke performers, Miss Rachel Berry, who is going to regale us with 'Don't Rain On My Parade.' You're in for a treat, Warblers." As Rachel moved to the center of the stage, Mercedes tapped a few keys on her computer to start the track.

Despite the relative unpopularity of her song choice, Rachel's performance managed to draw most of the crowd's attention, like usual. Even in a dingy karaoke bar, Rachel's inner diva shone. It still shocked Kurt that 4 years post-NYADA, she still hadn't been truly discovered. Her star quality was obvious. Sadly, it was unlikely a Broadway producer was hanging out here in Warblers to see her in all her glory.

Kurt watched with pride as she hit every note perfectly, highlighting her performance with just the right amount of dramatic flair and passion to keep the audience completely enraptured. As she hit her last big note, the bar erupted in cheers. Kurt pitied the performer who would follow her, especially since they'd be performing right before Kurt, and call him cocky, but he just knew he was going to kill it tonight.

Rachel practically bounced back to the table, stopping a few times to beam and curtsy when someone gave her a compliment. "How fantastic was I?" she gushed as she plopped back into her chair.

"Amazing," Kurt said honestly.

Rachel brought her hands up under her chin and gave a few quick claps in excitement. "I know!" Then she sighed, letting her fingers fold together and resting her chin on her hands. "If only casting directors could see me now."

Kurt reached out and rested a hand on her arm. "Hey. It'll happen. One day a casting director who isn't a complete and total idiot will notice that you were born for Broadway."

"It's been four years since we graduated, Kurt, and the closest I've ever come is still those callbacks for 'Funny Girl' that never worked out."

"That's because the show ended up getting cancelled, not because you weren't fantastic," Kurt reassured her. "You are a star, Rachel Berry, and one day the rest of the world will know it, too."

Rachel gave him a tentative smile of gratitude. Then she glanced over at the stage, where a couple was doing a passable duet to "A Whole New World." If they hadn't been sandwiched between Rachel and Kurt, they might have even seemed good, but in comparison, they were dull and off-key.

"Poor people," Rachel murmured, echoing Kurt's thoughts. "They never had a chance, not between us."

"Speaking of which, I should probably go up there," Kurt said as he stood.

"Break a leg!" Rachel encouraged as he walked past her to the stage.

Kurt smiled at her in acknowledgement and confidently made his way up the stage. He was going to be amazing tonight. He could feel it.


	4. Chapter 4

Blaine was still so awestruck from the perky brunette's mind-blowing performance that the couple after her was mostly a blur. In fact, he didn't really notice much of anything until the chestnut-haired man stood and made his way to the stage. Blaine appreciated the opportunity to watch the perfect man's lean form in motion, especially the way his sinfully tight pants cupped his ass as he made his way up the stairs to the stage.

While several of the previous performers had waited for their turn in the corner nervously and approached the stage cautiously, Mr. Perfect walked like he owned it. There wasn't even the slightest hesitation or show of nerves in his motion. He stood off to the side as the couple finished their performance, casually joking with Mercedes as if they were just hanging out at a party and he wasn't about to perform to a packed bar.

Blaine envied his confidence – it had been years since he had performed music outside of his own room. In high school, he'd been as confident as Mr. Perfect as the lead soloist in his school's glee club, but it had been a small private school in rural Ohio. The phrase "big fish in a small pond" had never been more apt. When he'd come to New York for college, he'd had big dreams of taking the city by storm… until he'd realized how talented literally all of his classmates at NYU had been. So used to being the shining star showered with praise, he'd had a really hard time accepting criticism and becoming one of the crowd rather than the obvious stand-out. After overhearing some classmates making fun of his "showy boy-band style", his self-doubt had reached a peak, and he'd frozen at a vocal performance final. Instead of facing his fears, Blaine had quickly convinced himself that music was more of a personal hobby rather than his dream and that his real dream was becoming a doctor, much to his parents' delight. He'd graduated a few years ago and had been working as a lab tech for a cancer biologist, trying to motivate himself to start the application process for medical school.

The stage fright and self-doubt may have destroyed Blaine's faith in his music dreams, but it hadn't destroyed his love of music. Now, though, the closest he came to performing was his Youtube channel, where he carefully angled the camera to focus only on his hands as they strummed his guitar. He mostly did covers, but every once in a while, he threw in an original song. He had a decent following – not enough to qualify as famous, but pretty impressive (he thought) for a guy who just sang along with his guitar a few times a week.

The couple up on stage was finishing up, and Blaine distractedly clapped along with the rest of the bar. His focus was entirely on Mr. Perfect, who seemed to have gone into his own pre-performance space. His eyes were closed, his head slightly bowed, and Blaine was pretty sure if he were standing closer, he'd hear a pattern of deep, even breathing. As Mercedes took the stage, the chestnut-haired man slowly lifted his head and opened his eyes, as if he was carefully transitioning back to the world from wherever he had just been.

"Alright, let's have another round of applause for tonight's Aladdin and Jasmine!" Mercedes yelled into the microphone. The crowd gave a slight cheer as the couple made their way down the stage.

Mercedes waited until they had reached the dance floor "And now, we have another great performance from another Warblers regular, the amazingly talented Kurt Hummel!"

Blaine subconsciously sat up straighter in his chair in eager anticipation as Mr. Perfect… _Kurt_ , and somehow that just seemed to be the perfect name for the chestnut-haired god… made his way to the center of the stage. An avid Beatles fan, Blaine immediately recognized the opening to "Blackbird." It was an interesting song choice for karaoke – most people would have gone with something more obvious, like "All You Need Is Love." Blaine was already impressed, and Kurt hadn't even started singing.

And then he did, and Blaine's brain ceased functioning. Kurt's voice was like nothing Blaine had ever heard before. Blaine was sure if he died and went to heaven, the choirs of angels would have nothing on Kurt's voice. Blaine was transfixed by the passion and emotion underlying every note, as if Kurt's soul was leaking out through the words he was singing. In his chest, Blaine's heart was doing cartwheels. It felt like Blaine's entire world was tilting on its axis, and there wasn't anything he could do about it.

As the rest of the bar erupted in cheers when Kurt finished singing, Blaine could only stare in awe. He couldn't process what had just happened. All he knew was that things were never going to be the same for him, ever again.


	5. Chapter 5

Kurt knew he had nailed it before he even finished the last note. The roaring applause of the bar patrons was a nice bonus, but he didn't need it. With a triumphant smile, Kurt gave a quick curtsy and blew a kiss to the supportive crowd. He would have skipped back to his table, but too many people stopped him on his way back to congratulate him. Not that Kurt really minded. There were also a few offers of drinks, mostly from older men, but Kurt had a strict policy against accepting drinks from people who creeped him out, and the leering gazes definitely creeped him out. He politely declined.

Back at the table, Rachel was practically vibrating with excitement. "Kurt, that was _amazing_ ," she gushed. "Absolutely one of your best performances. I know I've seen you do that song hundreds of times, but tonight, it was just… wow. Forget me being a star. _You're_ the star."

Kurt smiled at her. "How about we're both stars?"

"Deal," she agreed, clinking her glass against his.

They were both still celebrating when Santana appeared at the table. Without even asking, she grabbed a chair from a nearby table and pulled it up. "If anyone asks, you two are happily married and have like a dozen kids," she announced without preamble.

Kurt gave her a questioning look, while Rachel stuttered, "Married… to each other? Please. No way."

Santana took a swig of the beer she had carried over with her. "Well, it's either that or you can get hit on by every untalented freak in here with fantasies of breeding show-choir babies. I thought I was doing you a favor, but hey, my bad. I'll just hang your number up behind the bar, then."

Rachel perked up and glanced over at the bar. "People want to hit on me?" she asked excitedly.

"Oh my God, girl, you do not want them, trust me," Santana replied.

"How do you know? Maybe they're perfectly nice gentlemen who enjoy spontaneous flirty duets and recognize Barbra Streisand as the goddess that she is and would worship me in the way I deserve and would shower me with lavish gifts backstage after I wow the crowds on Broadway…"

Santana rolled her eyes. "You are so far gone, it would take a spaceship to reach you." Then she glanced over at Kurt. "What about you, Hummel? Harboring romantic fantasies about the guys trying to send you drinks? Want me to start encouraging them?"

Kurt shuddered. "God, no."

Santana gave a slight nod of approval. "At least one of you is slightly sane."

"Hey!" Rachel protested. "I am perfectly sane."

"Keep telling yourself that." Santana glanced over at the bar as she answered. "Ugh. This kid is so useless. Can't trust him with the bar for 5 minutes. I gotta go." She stood and forced her way through the crowd back to the bar.

"Just because I choose to be an optimist…" Rachel began.

Kurt held up a hand. "Rachel, not my fight. Text it to her."

Rachel huffed. "You know what? Maybe I will." She pulled out her phone and began furiously typing.

Kurt turned away from her and focused again on the karaoke. A bunch of ridiculously drunk college boys were shouting their way through "Carry On My Wayward Son." Kurt cringed. Some nights, Warblers was full of great performers, but other nights, it was just a drunken free-for-all. Tonight seemed like it would be the latter. Kurt hoped he was wrong.

Rachel continued typing through several more performances, none of which were any better. Finally, Kurt snapped. "What are you writing, a novel?"

Rachel looked affronted. "I just want to make my position clear."

"In what, a ten-page formal essay?" Kurt quipped. "Do you know Santana at all? She's not going to read more than 5 words before she deletes it."

Rachel sniffed. "At least I'll know I tried."

Kurt sighed. "Can you finish your essay on the subway ride home?"

"You want to leave?" Rachel asked as she continued pecking at her phone. "But we just got here."

"We got here an hour ago, and everyone sucks tonight," Kurt whined.

Rachel glanced up at the stage, where a middle-aged woman was droning a very flat version of "I Will Always Love You." "You have a point. Alright, we can go. Just let me finish this sentence."

A few minutes later, they were waving at Santana and making their way back out to the street. After a short walk and a longer wait, they were finally on the train back toward their apartment. While Rachel continued her text rant, Kurt pulled his phone and a set of earbuds out of his pocket.

Rachel glanced over at him. "Let me guess. Nightbirdsong?" she asked, referring to the username of a Youtube singer Kurt had become obsessed with in the last few months.

"Of course," Kurt said unashamedly. "I need something to cleanse my brain of all that horrific karaoke."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Don't you think it's a little weird that you converted a bunch of random Youtube videos by some stranger to mp3s so you can listen to them obsessively at all hours of the day?"

Kurt furrowed his eyebrows. "No? It would be weird if I were obsessed with _him_ , but appreciating someone's talent is not weird."

Rachel muttered something that sounded like, "Seems like a fine line to me."

Kurt jumped on the defensive. "Rachel, I don't even know what this man looks like. How could I be obsessed with him? Sure, he has a voice that's smoother than expensive silk sheets and masterful, strong hands that fly over his guitar with a surprising dexterity…" He stopped when he caught Rachel's pointed look. "Okay, maybe I'm a little obsessed. It's just been a long dry spell."

"Aw, honey," Rachel cooed sympathetically as she leaned her head on his shoulder, "even in my worst dry spell, I've never fantasized over a disembodied voice and a pair of hands."

Kurt pushed her off his shoulder. "You sounded so genuine at first."

Rachel wasn't the least bit chagrined. "Should I get you some posters of Thing from _The Addams Family_ to help get you through?"

"Shut up," Kurt muttered as he turned up the volume on his phone.

Successfully distracted from her text, Rachel kept teasing him all the way to the apartment.


	6. Chapter 6

Blaine still felt slightly dazed when he saw Kurt and the girl he was with get up and start to leave. He had already accepted that the odds of him ever seeing Kurt again were almost nonexistent, but he was still sad to see him go so soon. Blaine had been hoping Kurt would stay longer, and maybe sing again. Blaine wanted to feel the same rush he had gotten from Kurt's first performance, to feel that depth of emotion, to experience that sensation of being really, truly alive for the first time in years. It was invigorating and addictive, and apparently over.

Blaine forced himself to continue facing Sam, but all he really wanted to do was swing around and watch Kurt leave. He wanted to memorize everything about Kurt, so that in his dark moments of loneliness, he could recall everything about the most perfect man that ever was. He was used to living in fantasies. After all, he'd dated Sebastian for years, and even gotten engaged, all because he'd convinced himself Sebastian was the man of his dreams and not a weasely, cheating liar. He could easily survive years on memories and dreams of Kurt. He might need to survive years on that. Blaine was pretty sure after the disaster that was Sebastian, he wouldn't be trusting anyone anytime soon.

The next few hours passed in a bit of a blur. Blaine knew Sam continued talking, and Blaine was responding, but he really couldn't have said what the conversation was about. A few more rounds of drinks were purchased. An almost endless array of performers sang karaoke numbers, ranging from people who clearly had some vocal training to people who had clearly had a few too many beers and never carried a tune in their life. Nobody was like Kurt, though. Nobody even came close.

Around 2 AM, Mercedes took the stage to announce the end of karaoke for the night and to thank everyone for participating. She reminded them that karaoke was available at Warblers every night at ten and invited them to come back and perform again. After she'd spent a few minutes behind her table queuing up some music to play for the remaining hour or so until last call, Mercedes made her way down the stairs and over to Blaine and Sam's table. She greeted her boyfriend enthusiastically, with a kiss that quickly made Blaine feel like he was intruding on a private moment and forced him to turn away.

"So, Blaine, what'd you think of your first night at Warblers?" Mercedes asked, causing Blaine to stop pretending to examine a flyer on the wall behind him.

"It was a lot of fun. You get some pretty good singers in here," Blaine remarked.

Mercedes laughed. "And some pretty bad ones, too."

"At least they have the courage to get up there and perform," Blaine said, a hint of wistfulness in his voice.

Sam and Mercedes exchanged a quick glance. Evidently, Sam had been chosen to talk, for he looked back at Blaine and began, "You know, buddy, if you wanted…"

Blaine held up a hand. "I know. We've been through this. Spare me the psychiatric analysis at 2 AM on a Friday night… well, Saturday morning, I guess. I'm working on it."

Mercedes pursed her lips like she wanted to say more, but instead changed the subject. "I can't believe Rachel and Kurt didn't stick around. I really wanted to introduce them to you guys."

"Oh, you know them?" Blaine tried to sound casual, but based on Sam's raised eyebrow, he wasn't really succeeding.

Luckily, Mercedes didn't seem to catch it. "Oh, yeah, they're some of our only regulars. They come almost every Friday night. They're awesome. I love them."

Blaine wanted to ask more, but Sam was already looking way too interested, so Blaine shrugged and pretended he wasn't really interested in the information.

Mercedes looked around the bar, which had emptied out a lot in the last few hours. "So I have to stay for another hour or so, and then I should be able to head out. At least now I can be a little more free and sit with you guys, if you want to stay. You two don't have to wait. I know it's late, so if you want to head out…"

Sam was already shaking his head. "I'm here for you, so I'm staying until you leave. Plus…" He leaned closer to whisper something in her ear.

Mercedes shot him a scandalized look and smacked him on the arm. "Inappropriate!" she scolded, but her eyes were filled with love. Sam laughed and slung his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.

Suddenly feeling very much like a third wheel, Blaine took a long drink to finish up his beer. He pushed back his chair. "I hate to be a party pooper, but I think I'm going to head out."

Mercedes pushed slightly away from Sam. "Oh, no, no, you don't have to go!" She picked up Sam's hand and dropped it back on his lap. "Sam will behave himself. I can go back over to my booth and leave you two to your boys' night." She gave Sam a genuinely concerned look, and Blaine wondered how many conversations the two of them had had about Blaine. He had a sneaking suspicion they were worried about him and conspiring to get him back out there at any price.

Even though he was still pretty amped up from earlier, Blaine didn't want to hang out here and feel like he was blocking their alone time. He'd find some other way to work off his energy. He gave Mercedes a sweet smile. "I appreciate the offer, but I think it's time I head out. It's getting late."

Mercedes didn't look convinced. Blaine leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek. "I promise, I'm fine," he said quietly by her ear. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a quick squeeze.

Once she had released him, Blaine straightened and slapped Sam's outstretched hand in a quick high-five, then leaned forward and gave him a quick half-hug. "Thanks for bringing me out tonight."

"We should do this more often," Sam replied.

Blaine nodded. "Absolutely."

Sam's demeanor shifted to what Blaine liked to call "big brother mode," his gaze going protective. "You okay to get home?" he asked.

Blaine laughed. "Sam, I've only had 3 beers in 4 hours, I'm 26 years old, and I've lived in the city for 8 years. I think I can handle getting back to my apartment all by myself."

Sam shrugged. "You'll always be that naïve, sweet 18-year-old boy who felt bad hailing a taxi because it might inconvenience the cab driver to pull over and drive you to your destination."

Blaine made a disgusted face. "Talk about stories that need to stop being repeated. Don't worry. I've managed to get past that."

"If you say so," Sam replied skeptically. "I distinctly remember a day last week when you were running late for a meeting but refused to hail the cab coming up the street…"

"Because there was a very harried-looking woman with a suitcase down the block who clearly needed the cab more than I did! And the cabbie would have gotten an airport fare, which is way better than the short little ride I was going to give him," Blaine shot back defensively.

Sam gave him a look to indicate that Blaine was proving his point, but all he said was, "Just text me when you get home, okay? I still worry, even if you're all grown up now."

"Yes, Dad," Blaine teased. "I'll talk to you two soon."

"Thanks for coming," Mercedes replied, while Sam said, "Seriously, don't forget to text me or I'll send out search parties."

Blaine smiled and waved as he headed for the door.

Outside the bar, he got lucky. An empty cab was just turning onto the block, so Blaine reached out his arm. The car pulled up and Blaine climbed in. As they drove through the city streets to Blaine's apartment, Blaine figured out how he was going to burn out some energy. He was feeling inspired. He was going to record a song for his Youtube channel, and he knew exactly what song he wanted to sing.


	7. Chapter 7

Kurt woke up the next morning and looked over at the clock. 10:42. He sighed in contentment. Sleeping in was the best part of Saturday mornings. Kurt rolled to his side and snuggled into the covers. He loved knowing he could stay here all day if he wanted, warm and cozy under his blankets. Sure, there were things he could do: his laundry pile was getting pretty large, the fridge was emptier than it should be, and he had been meaning to rearrange his scarf collection for weeks. But none of those things  _had_  to be done. That was the beauty of Saturdays.

On the nightstand next to the bed, Kurt's phone vibrated. "I underestimated the boringness of last night's crowd. Lucky guess with 15," Santana wrote.

It took Kurt a second to figure it out, but when he did, he sat up and began bouncing up and down in excitement. "I won the Journey bet last night?!" he texted back. Then he added, "And OMG 15 people? Really? Doesn't anyone have taste anymore?"

Santana's reply was immediate. "You're not that good, Hummel. It was 13. You were just the closest."

Kurt ignored her. "I won! I can't believe it! You better watch out – there's about to be a new champion in town. I can't wait to hear you perform."

"Getting a little ahead of yourself there, champ. You have one point. One. For the entire year. And it's already late April. You're going to have to get lucky more than once in order for that to happen. And we both know how often you get lucky," she texted back.

"Leave my sex life out of this!" Kurt replied. "You're just afraid, because you know your reign of terror is coming to an end."

"You wish," Santana's answering text read.

Kurt sent her an emoticon with its tongue sticking out. While he waited to see if she would reply, he decided to check his email. There were a few emails from online retailers he frequented, offering sale codes and promises of free shipping. He left those unread so he'd remember to check them out later. Then he saw an email from Youtube about a new video on one of the channels he subscribed to. Eagerly, he opened the email and clicked the link to Nightbirdsong's latest video.

Of course, the Wi-Fi chose that moment to be slow. As he groaned in frustration and waited for the video to buffer, he glanced at the description. "Something a little different, for a beautiful man with an incredible voice who helped me find my inspiration tonight," he read.

Kurt squealed in excitement. His Youtube crush was gay! He had to be. Straight guys were never secure enough in their masculinity or sexuality to call other men beautiful, in Kurt's experience. This was amazing! Now he and Nightbirdsong could sing flirty duets and fall in love and have beautiful musically talented babies…

Caught up in his slightly over-the-top fantasies, Kurt almost missed the start of the video. It was indeed different – instead of the usual guitar, a keyboard sat in the frame. As usual, Nightbirdsong's face wasn't visible, but his hands moved just as confidently over the keyboard as they usually did over the guitar. Within a few chords, Kurt already recognized the song and was excited to see Nightbirdsong's interpretation.

"You think I'm pretty without any make-up on," Nightbirdsong began. His voice was smooth, confident, and steady as he made his way through "Teenage Dream." Though Kurt found the original version too pop-like and cheesy, Nightbirdsong's voice, along with the keyboard, made it sound more like a love song than a catchy pop song. Kurt was addicted. When the video ended, Kurt replayed it three times, while clutching a hand to his chest as if trying to keep his heart from overflowing with feelings and spilling all over the bed.

After the third time, Kurt hit the replay button again, but this time he finally got out of bed. He exited his bedroom and twirled down the hall. In the kitchen, Rachel glanced up from the table, where she was reading the paper and eating a bowl of fruit after her morning jog, and frowned in confusion. "Someone's awfully cheerful considering they haven't yet had their morning coffee."

Wordlessly, Kurt restarted the video and placed his phone on the table in front of her. Rachel watched for a few seconds. "Ah. I should have guessed. Nightbirdsong. What else would put a smile on your face first thing on a Saturday?" She ate a few pieces of fruit while the video finished. "It is a pretty beautiful version of that song, though, I'll give you that. I never would have thought 'Teenage Dream' could sound like that."

Kurt gathered the cup of coffee he had made and sank into the chair next to Rachel. "I haven't even shown you the best part yet." He hit the replay button so the song would restart, then pointed to the video description.

Rachel read it out loud, then looked up at Kurt with a puzzled expression. "Okay, why is that the best part?"

"Rachel… he's  _gay_ ," Kurt sighed dreamily.

Rachel groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Oh, no. I'm going to be hearing even more about him, aren't I?"

Kurt just gave her a bright smile and reached for his phone, prepared to restart the video as soon as the song ended.


	8. Chapter 8

Blaine told himself that Warblers and Kurt had been a one-time event, but two weeks later, Kurt and his voice were still stuck in Blaine's head. So when Sam texted and asked if he wanted to hang out again and maybe stop by to see Mercedes, Blaine said yes.

Later that night at the bar, Blaine tried to act normally. He resisted the temptation to scan the bar every two minutes to see if Kurt had shown up yet. He avoided staring at Mercedes to see if Kurt approached her to sign up. He ignored Sam's teasing comments about the last time they had been at the bar. He pretended not to notice when karaoke started and there was no sign of Kurt. He pretended not to care when karaoke ended and Kurt hadn't come. He pretended not to be listening when Mercedes came over at the end of the night and started telling Sam about the horrible stomach bug that Kurt had caught at work. He even pretended to himself not to be disappointed that Kurt hadn't been there.

The next week, Sam invited him again. This time, Blaine spotted Kurt immediately, his perfectly groomed chestnut hair seated right by the stage with the same brunette girl from the first time. This time, Kurt was the second person to perform, again choosing "Blackbird." It was everything Blaine remembered; the magic hadn't been a one-time thing, like Blaine had tried to tell himself the past 3 weeks. It was ridiculous to be this obsessed over a guy he'd only seen twice at a karaoke bar, but there was just something about Kurt that resonated deep within Blaine's soul.

Blaine was still contentedly enjoying the post-Kurt haze when Kurt and his friend took the stage again later and performed a duet to "For Good" from Wicked. It was emotional and almost intimate; though Kurt and his friend were both excellent performers, it was easy to tell there was a deep personal bond on which the performance was based. Blaine felt like he had won the lottery – two Kurt performances in one night. He also felt greedy, because he still wanted more. When it started getting pretty late and Kurt and his friend hadn't left yet, Blaine started to allow himself to hope that maybe Kurt would stay long enough that Mercedes would introduce them. It was looking really promising… until 1:30, when a clumsy and drunk college kid behind Blaine stumbled and dumped 3 pints of beer down Blaine's back. Soaked and reeking of cheap beer, Blaine was too uncomfortable in his wet clothing to stay. Plus, that wasn't really the first impression Blaine wanted to make.

Sam was out of town for the next two weeks for a modeling job, and Blaine felt that going to the bar alone would be bordering on stalking. Instead, he stayed home and worked on some new arrangements and original songs for his Youtube channel, which he found himself updating more and more frequently since the first time he'd seen Kurt perform.

When Sam returned from his shoot, Blaine expected to be invited out to the bar again. He waited patiently for one week, then two, but Sam apparently had forgotten about Warblers or had lost interest in going. Blaine knew he was being silly, since he could easily ask Sam to go, but he didn't want to endure the teasing that was bound to result. Even though it had been over a month, Blaine knew Sam. There was no way Sam had forgotten Blaine's interest, no matter how temporary he had tried to make it seem.

But when Thursday of the third week since Sam had returned came and there was still no invitation from Sam, Blaine was pretty restless. He decided it was time to take matters into his own hands, so he picked up his phone and sent a text.


	9. Chapter 9

Other than a short bout with a stomach bug in early May, Kurt's life remained relatively uneventful. Nothing much had changed in his professional life. He went to a few auditions, for which he was never contacted again, so he was still working for Vogue's online division. He knew there were worse fates; after all, his boss was fantastic and loved him. She was extremely supportive of his dream and was always giving him time off for auditions, but she also thought he was brilliant and gave him a lot of opportunities at Vogue, considering he had no formal fashion training. It just wasn't the career he wanted. He missed the stage. His only outlet was Friday nights at Warblers with Rachel.

His personal life hadn't really changed either. Since he'd broken up with Adam 3 years ago, Kurt hadn't really had any significant relationships. There'd been dates, of course. There'd even been a guy named Chandler who he'd met at a music store and dated for several months, but Kurt had eventually grown tired of Chandler's fanboy-like worship. Of course he wanted someone who thought he was amazing, but he also wanted someone who saw him as a real person. He wanted a partner, someone who had their own life and their own dreams and ambitions, someone who would tell him when he was being amazing but also when he was being obnoxious, someone who walked alongside him and not behind him (metaphorically speaking). Chandler had not been that. Kurt had broken up with Chandler after Kurt had spent a week intentionally being the most unreasonable diva, and Chandler had just showered him with praise and done whatever he asked without complaint. That wasn't a healthy relationship.

Overall, though, even though he wasn't where he wanted to be, Kurt was content with his life. He was optimistic about his prospects, both professionally and personally. His healthy dose of confidence helped – he knew he was fabulous, and eventually he'd find casting agents and a partner who agreed. Very little could shake that confidence.

The first Friday in June, though, one of the rare confidence-shaking events happened. As he was pulling out ingredients for dinner, he received a text from Adam. That in and of itself wasn't unusual; though they'd broken up, they'd remained friends and occasionally checked in with each other or grabbed a coffee to catch up. It was the contents of the text that sent Kurt reeling.

"I'M ENGAGED!" it read.

In disbelief, Kurt had tried to rationalize the text as a joke. After all, the whole reason he and Adam had broken up after 4 years together was because Adam had said he never really wanted to get married, and Kurt definitely wanted to get married and have kids and live the fairy tale. Kurt had been willing to wait for Adam to be ready, but Adam had been pretty clear that he didn't expect to ever be ready. It had hurt, but Kurt had appreciated Adam's honesty. They'd agreed that their goals were too different and that it was better to break things off at that point instead of waiting for the inevitable fights and resentment that was bound to come.

Kurt knew that Adam had been dating a guy for almost a year now, but Kurt hadn't realized that Adam's fundamental philosophy on marriage had changed. Kurt logged on to Facebook to try to prove that Adam's text was a joke, but right there at the top of his news feed was a post proclaiming Adam's engagement, with a few pictures of the happy, smiling couple. Just in case there was any doubt in Kurt's mind, Adam had changed his profile picture to one of him and his partner, in which his partner was holding up his hand and pointing to a ring with an expression of surprise and excitement while Adam pressed a kiss to his cheek. So not only had Adam suddenly become pro-marriage, but  _he_ had been the one to propose. It wasn't even like his partner had asked and Adam had replied with a dispassionate "sure." Adam had orchestrated the proposal. Adam had been so excited about the prospect of marriage that he had gone out and purchased a ring, planned a proposal, and popped the question.

Which meant that it wasn't true that Adam had never really wanted to get married. He just had never really wanted to get married to Kurt. After all, it had taken him less than a year to start thinking about marriage with his new boyfriend. This completely changed everything Kurt had told himself to help find closure after he and Adam had broken up. He'd blamed Adam and his stance on marriage for the split, and he had managed to heal his bruised heart by repeatedly affirming that he had done nothing wrong, because it was Adam's problem. But the problem hadn't been Adam. The problem had been Kurt. Kurt hadn't been enough.

After sending a polite congratulatory text back, Kurt searched the cabinets until he found a bottle of wine, popped out the cork, and poured himself a large glass.

When Rachel got home 45 minutes later, Kurt was past tipsy and on the way to drunk, the bottle of wine almost empty. The dinner ingredients were still scattered on the kitchen counter where Kurt had abandoned them. Kurt himself was splayed across the couch, humming the chorus to "All By Myself" between snarky, cynical comments aimed at the brides on "Say Yes to the Dress."

"Kurt?" Rachel asked gently.

"Rachel! Come join me! I'm laughing at all these silly girls who think love is real. It's not. Everything's a lie," Kurt replied almost cheerfully.

Rachel perched on the sofa by Kurt's legs and subtly reached for the bottle of wine to move it out of reach. "Sweetie, what happened?"

Kurt sat up. "Four years, Rachel. What was I, just a convenient body? An amusing distraction? Why waste four years on me if he knew I wasn't the one?" He was ranting now, angry and hurt.

"Is this about Adam?" Rachel guessed, trying to put the pieces together.

"Duh," Kurt said, flopping back down. He reached down for the bottle of wine and frowned when it wasn't there.

Rachel rested a hand on Kurt's knee. "What happened?" she repeated.

"Russell," Kurt spat angrily. "What kind of name is Russell, anyway?"

Rachel ran her thumb across the bottom of Kurt's thigh in a soothing motion. "I'm still a little confused, sweetie. Who's Russell, and what does he have to do with Adam?"

"Well, he doesn't  _have_ to do anything, but apparently he wants to do everything, and Adam wants to do everything with him too, forever, which he didn't want to do with me." Kurt's voice trailed into a whine. "Why didn't he want to do it with me, Rachel? What's wrong with me?!"

"Absolutely nothing," Rachel replied automatically. When Kurt didn't offer any further explanation, she prodded gently, "I'm still a little confused – who exactly is Russell?"

Kurt exhaled in exasperation. He grabbed his phone from the coffee table and unlocked the screen. "Someone who's obviously better than me in every way," Kurt replied, handing her the phone so she could look at the open Facebook profile.

Rachel furrowed her brow as she scanned the profile, trying to figure out what it was that she was supposed to be seeing. His cover photo was a beautiful shadowy silhouette shot of two men on a beach at sunrise, one down on one knee in a classic proposal stance, but it was impossible to make out any features. His profile picture was just a shot of his hand with a ring on it, but there was nothing obvious that made him relevant to the conversation. It was only when she saw his relationship status, "Engaged to Adam Crawford," that she put it all together. "Oh, sweetie…" she started.

"Adam loves marriage, Rachel! He was just lying to me! He's all about marriage! Look at that cover photo – he even planned a romantic sunrise proposal on the beach! That should have been  _my_  proposal, but Adam didn't want me!" Kurt reached again for his bottle of wine and again came up empty-handed. He leaned up a little and saw it where Rachel had stashed it between her feet. "Give me back my wine, Rachel."

She ignored him and instead focused on Adam. "Kurt, maybe Adam just had a change of heart. Maybe he really didn't think he would want to get married, but now that he's older…"

"He's found someone better," Kurt finished glumly. Then he glared at her. "Give me back my wine."

Rachel shook her head. "Not better. There is nobody better than you, Kurt."

In a lightning-quick move, Kurt lunged forward and grabbed the bottle of wine from between Rachel's feet. He let out a triumphant "Ha!" when Rachel glanced at him in surprise. "I'm not that drunk, Rachel. Just enough to be sappy."

Rachel tried to grab the bottle of wine away, but Kurt held it up and out of reach. "Give it up, Rachel. It's mine. You can't have it."

Rachel huffed in defeat before returning to her previous efforts at cheering Kurt up. "Kurt, who cares about Russell? You can do better than Adam anyway."

Kurt laughed bitterly. "Because I've had so many promising relationships since then?"

"Just because you haven't found someone better  _yet_  doesn't mean you never will!" Rachel insisted.

"No, I won't. I'm unlovable," Kurt protested dramatically.

"Well, I happen to love you, Kurt Hummel, so that can't possibly be true. Now come on. Let's get some dinner in you before you drink any more alcohol." She stood up and grabbed Kurt's hand, and he let her drag him off the couch and into the kitchen.


	10. Chapter 10

Blaine led the way into Warblers late that night. He bought two beers at the bar and then snagged a table along the wall. Wes dropped into the seat across from him and glanced around the bar, assessing. Finally he grabbed his beer and focused back on Blaine. "Not a place I would have pictured you taking me, but I like it. No frills. Just functional. None of that pretentious New York bar atmosphere," he pronounced.

"Just wait until the karaoke starts. There are some really great singers who come in here," Blaine assured him.

"Like you?" Wes asked hopefully, raising an eyebrow.

Blaine shook his head and started picking at the label on his bottle, a nervous habit he had whenever the conversation broached uncomfortable territory. "You know I don't do that anymore."

Wes looked pensive for a moment before speaking. Blaine had to lean in a little to hear him. "I know that. I also know you miss it."

Blaine stopped peeling the label and glanced up suddenly. "How do you know that?"

"Blaine, I saw you when you came to Dalton. You were this nervous, shy, reserved freshman who seemed to prefer being alone and isolated yourself from everyone. When you showed up to glee club try-outs, we all thought you had gotten lost. You got up to sing your solo and we were all still waiting for the punchline to the joke. And then the music started playing and suddenly you became this whole other person, like your entire body came alive and your personality burst out of its cage and you were finally free. For the first year, most of us called you Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, because we couldn't understand how you could be one person on stage and a completely different person off-stage. It wasn't until you came to trust us and told us about your history with bullying that we all realized that the person you were on stage was the real you, and the stage was the only place you had been comfortable enough to reveal yourself to us. The stage is your safe place, Blaine. It's your home. How could you not miss that?"

Blaine stared, open-mouthed, at Wes. Wes just shrugged as if he had commented on something benign and boring, like the weather.

They sat in silence for a few moments while Blaine processed. Wes didn't seem to mind, happy to just sip his beer and glance around the bar. Blaine knew they could have stayed like that all night and Wes wouldn't have pushed. That was the great thing about Wes; he knew when to speak and when to give people space.

Finally, Blaine cleared his throat, and Wes immediately refocused his attention on Blaine. "How… do I get it back?" Blaine asked.

Wes gave him an amused glance. "Why are you asking me?"

"Hey, you didn't seem to have any problem answering my earlier question."

Wes seemed to consider whether to answer for a minute. "Maybe you just… do it," he suggested.

"Just do it?" Blaine repeated skeptically. "Just get up on a stage and sing? That seems overly simplistic."

"It's how you've worked through all your other fears and emotions before. Why not try it?"

"Maybe that's how I used to work through things, but I haven't in 8 years. Why would it work now?"

Wes shook his head. "No, that's not true. That's exactly how you still work through things. Isn't that why you have your Youtube channel?"

"That's just for fooling around. I only post songs when… um…" Blaine trailed off, looking for the right words to explain the Youtube channel.

"When you need an outlet?" Wes offered.

Blaine nodded, and Wes gave him a pointed look. "Isn't that exactly the same thing?"

"I guess the principle is the same, but the Youtube channel is anonymous. Nobody can see me or judge me. Nobody even knows who I am."

"I do," Wes pointed out.

"That's different. You knew me before…" Blaine gestured vaguely.

Wes wasn't put off that easily. "Sam does, and you two didn't meet until sophomore year of college."

"That's Sam; he doesn't really count either."

"Doesn't Sam's girlfriend know too? And didn't you say that your brother showed it to a few of his friends?"

"Yeah…" Blaine conceded, still not entirely convinced.

"Look, my point is, you're not as totally anonymous as you think you are. If you started small, like… oh, I don't know, a hole-in-the-wall karaoke bar where nobody would really be paying that much attention or know you and remember you… it wouldn't be that huge of a leap."

"Mercedes would know and remember," Blaine argued, glancing over at the side of the stage where Mercedes was taking sign-ups.

"She's already seen you perform, though, even if just through Youtube," Wes pointed out.

Blaine bit gently on his lip as he tried to come up with other reasons not to. "I still don't know…"

"What if we did a duet?" Wes offered. "If you got uncomfortable, I could just take over."

Blaine continued chewing on his lower lip.

"Look, I'm not going to force you," Wes said gently. "It was just a suggestion. If you're not ready, you're not ready. It's your own thing, and you can work through it however you want. Don't let me force you to do something that you don't want to do. Take your time and do it at your own pace - it doesn't have to be tonight."

Blaine gave him a small smile. "You're a good friend, you know that?"

Wes grinned. "Takes one to know one."

Blaine took a drink of his beer while he thought about Wes's suggestion. "You know what? Let's try it. It can't hurt, right?"

Wes's smile grew wider. "Excellent. What song do you want to do?"


	11. Chapter 11

Despite Rachel's best efforts to cheer him up, Kurt was still feeling gloomy when they left for Warblers. Thanks to the meal Rachel had helped him prepare and made sure he ate, the alcohol wasn't hitting him quite as hard, but he'd had some more wine with dinner so he was still tipsier than usual. Rachel had offered to stay in with him and just watch cheesy movies, but Kurt had insisted on going out to Warblers.

When they got there, it was almost ten. Kurt pushed through to the bar and asked Santana to do him a favor and make his usual "extra-strong." He lisped a little on the "s" and she gave him a skeptical look. "Sounds like you've already had some 'extra-strong' drinks," she observed.

"Santana, please. It's been a rough night."

Santana glanced at him, then back at Rachel over his shoulder, before shrugging. "Whatever. I don't want to hear any complaints about how I made it too strong and got you off-key or whatever it is you divas whine about."

Kurt made an X over his heart. "No complaints. Cross my heart."

Santana rolled her eyes and made them their drinks. Kurt found them a table and Rachel went to sign them up for karaoke. Luckily, Mercedes had already put them on the list again, so even though they were pretty late tonight and the bar was fairly full, Kurt was performing sixth and Rachel second. As always, they were well-received, even though Kurt had slightly fumbled a line.

After he had performed, Kurt returned to the table. "I want to sing again."

Rachel eyed his empty drink. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Kurt nodded emphatically, the movement exaggerated. "I know the perfect song!"

Rachel gave him the kind of indulgent smile you would give a small child. "Okay, what song?"

Kurt leaned forward as if telling her a secret. "Come What May."

Rachel looked confused. "Your perfect song is the song you want to sing at your wedding?"

Kurt nodded again. "You see, because I'm never getting married! That should have been my song with Adam, but Adam's marrying someone else and I'm going to be alone forever, so as an ode to the wedding that will never happen, I will sing it here tonight instead."

Rachel seemed even more confused by his explanation, and Kurt wondered if he was drunker than he thought and slurring his words. "Just trust me. It's perfect," he insisted.

She still didn't seem convinced, but instead of pestering him with more questions on his motive, she asked, "Isn't that song usually a duet?"

Kurt gave her a suggestive smile.

"Oh, no, no. No. I'm not singing that with you."

Kurt turned his smile into the most pathetic frown he could manage. "Please, Rachel?" he pleaded. "Don't you want to help me feel better?"

Kurt could tell by the way Rachel's face softened that he had her. "And this is going to make you feel better?" she clarified.

"Absolutely. It's closure," Kurt assured her.

She eyed him for a minute, and he gave her his saddest puppy dog expression until she finally caved. "Okay, fine. You can sign us up for it."

Kurt was already standing before she even finished talking. He leaned down and gave her a slightly sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Thank you!" He ran up the stage to go sign up.

Mercedes smiled at him in greeting. "Back so soon?"

Kurt nodded. "Rachel and I are going to duet."

She clapped in excitement. "Yay! You know I love that." She pulled her sign-up list toward her. "What song?"

"Come What May," Kurt announced.

Mercedes's smile vanished. "What?"

"Come What May," Kurt repeated. "You know, from  _Moulin Rouge?_ "

Mercedes looked up at him with a soft rejection in her eyes. "I'm sorry, baby, but… someone already has that song for tonight."

Kurt's mouth dropped open, and he immediately began scanning the bar from his vantage point on the stage. "What? No. That's impossible. Nobody here ever has taste."

"I know it's hard to believe – I can't even remember the last time anyone requested that song, but it's true," Mercedes replied.

Kurt shook his head. "No. Did Rachel tell you to say this? I knew she didn't want to sing it, but that is low, even for her."

Mercedes patted his arm soothingly. "Rachel didn't tell me to say that. It's true. Someone already requested it, just a little while ago." She rotated the sign-up sheet so it faced him and pointed to a line about halfway down the page. "See?"

Kurt still couldn't believe it, but the proof was right there. Next to number 13 was written "Come What May." Kurt whined, "But Mercedes, it's the perfect song! It's _my_ song. I  _need_ to sing it."

Mercedes looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Kurt, but you know the policy. I wish I could do something… Maybe I can help you figure out another song."

Kurt shook his head. "No. No other song. It has to be that one." He glanced back down at the sign-ups. "You can help me. Tell me who Blaine and Wes are. I'll go beg them to give me my song."

For some reason, Mercedes seemed conflicted, but Kurt didn't understand why. "Baby… I can't do that," she finally said.

"Why not?" Kurt asked. "You're not a lawyer or something. There's no such thing as DJ-karaoke singer privilege."

Mercedes's eyes slid away. "I can't because I don't know who they are."

"You're lying," Kurt said immediately. "You have the best memory of anyone I've ever known when it comes to names and faces."

Mercedes made eye contact again. "Okay, fine, but I still can't tell you."

"Why not?" Kurt repeated.

"It's… complicated."

Kurt tried his begging expression. If it had worked once on Rachel, maybe it would work on Mercedes. "Please, Mercedes? I won't even make them give up the song. One of them can still sing with me. Or they can sing something else in that slot and I will sing it with Rachel later. I'll just ask nicely. Please?"

Like Rachel, Mercedes also seemed to be susceptible to his pleading puppy-dog expression, because she softened a little. "I don't know…"

Kurt exhaled in frustration. "Look, I didn't want to spill the whole sob story, but my ex-boyfriend who I wanted to marry but who didn't believe in marriage just texted me today to tell me he's engaged to someone else, and he's only known this other guy like a minute, and we were together for like ever, and he didn't want to marry me because he just wasn't the 'marriage type' but now he apparently is because he wants to marry this other guy… he  _proposed_ to this other guy… and I just need to sing this song to get closure because it should be our wedding and our wedding song and he is giving it to someone else!" Kurt knew he had talked a little too quickly and the sentence was a little run-on, but he hoped Mercedes had understood.

She seemed to have gotten enough of it to relent, because she said, "Just promise me one thing – if they say no, you'll leave them alone."

For the second time that night, Kurt found himself drawing an X over his heart. "Cross my heart."

Mercedes leaned forward and pointed to a table along the far wall. "See the guy with the smoothly gelled dark hair and the bow tie? That's Blaine."

Kurt pulled her in and gave her a quick hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! Wish me luck!"

As he crossed the bar toward the man Mercedes had pointed out, he felt like there was something oddly familiar about the guy. He was racking his brain trying to figure out where he might have seen him before, but nothing came to mind. The way the table was positioned, Blaine had his back mostly to Kurt and couldn't see him approaching. Stepping up behind him, Kurt cleared his throat and said simply, "Excuse me, but I believe you stole my song."


	12. Chapter 12

From the moment he had gone up to sign up with Mercedes, Blaine's heart had been racing. He couldn't believe he was going to do this. If Mercedes had been surprised to see him there without Sam and signing up to sing karaoke, she had done an excellent job of disguising it. She'd greeted him enthusiastically and handed him the sign-up sheet. Once he'd filled it out, she'd given him a wink and told him she'd see him soon.

When he returned to the table, he started concentrating on breathing slowly and relaxing. Wes had seemed to understand that Blaine needed some quiet, because Wes hadn't said much.

Despite trying to focus on himself and block out most of the bar around him, Blaine couldn't help but notice when Kurt and his friend showed up. Both did their usual numbers. Blaine noticed that Kurt seemed a little more distracted than usual, even making a small mistake, but his performance was still incredible. Blaine doubted anyone else had really noticed Kurt's error.

Blaine wasn't sure if he was more or less nervous that Kurt was there. On the one hand, Kurt had been a big part of his inspiration lately, and having a source of inspiration nearby was always helpful. Maybe it would give Blaine the courage he needed. On the other hand, it was Kurt, the most incredibly perfect performer Blaine had ever seen. Did he want to ruin the fantasy he had created in his head, where one day he'd come in and Mercedes would introduce them and Kurt would be immediately smitten, by performing horribly in front of him?

Wes kept giving him supportive smiles whenever their eyes met, and Blaine told himself to stop worrying about Kurt. Tonight was about Blaine conquering his fears of the stage, hopefully, not building up ridiculous fantasies about beautiful men he'd never met.

After Kurt's performance, Wes had remarked, "Wow. You were right. There are some great performers who come in here." Since then, he and Blaine had been having a shallow conversation, which Blaine was trying to focus on as a distraction, instead of thinking about the fact that their duet was rapidly approaching.

They were just discussing an a cappella group Wes had recently found on Youtube when Wes's eyes suddenly shifted to something behind Blaine. A split second later, a voice said, "Excuse me, but I believe you stole my song."

Blaine whirled around, ready for a confrontation, and found… Kurt. He froze. Kurt was even more beautiful this close. Just like every other time Blaine had seen him, Kurt was impeccably dressed, his hair neatly swept up away from his forehead. His skin looked smooth and creamy like porcelain, and his eyes were a clear blue. Blaine blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating before replying, " _Your_ song?" Mentally, he patted himself on the back for not blurting out something far more embarrassing, like, "Marry me."

Kurt nodded and pulled up an empty chair from the table behind them. "Don't worry, though. I have a proposition." He sounded rather cheerful, considering how confrontational his opening line had been, and Blaine wasn't quite sure how to reply.

"A proposition?" he finally echoed.  _Great, Blaine. Excellent conversation. Way to make an impression_ , he chided himself.

Kurt settled into the chair and propped his hands on the table, looking almost as if he were chairing a boardroom meeting rather than talking to a couple of strangers in a karaoke bar. "Yes. A proposition. You see, my friend doesn't really care about singing the duet with me, so I was hoping one of you might relinquish your position and allow me to sing the duet with the other." Kurt eyed Blaine and Wes in turn.

Blaine shifted in his chair. "You want to sing the duet with one of us?" he clarified.

"If you wouldn't mind."

Blaine shot a look at Wes. "I don't know," Wes said, catching onto Blaine's panic. "We were kind of looking forward to doing it together."

"Oh!" Kurt gasped, as if he had made some discovery. He looked quickly between them. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Of course. That's a lovely song for a couple, and you two look like a lovely couple. I'll get over it. Carry on. You deserve it." Kurt pushed his chair out and stood.

"Wait, no, we're not a couple," Blaine stated quickly. "Wes is… I mean, I'm… um, never mind. But we're not a couple."

Wes gave Blaine a questioning look of surprise. After all, pretending they were a couple would have been the perfect excuse to say no, and Blaine knew that even though Wes was straight and happily engaged, he would have gone along with it if it meant Blaine could avoid awkward questions.

The problem was… Blaine didn't want to say no. He didn't really want to say yes either, because what if he screwed everything up and embarrassed himself in front of Kurt? But he didn't want to say no, because this might be his only chance to interact with Kurt. Plus, what were the odds of them ever running into each other again, in a city this size? Unless Blaine came back to Warblers on a Friday, he could easily go his entire life without ever seeing Kurt again, if he had to. Not that he wanted to. But if he had to. If he screwed up.  _And I'm not going to screw up_ , he told himself.

Kurt was waiting expectantly, standing between his chair and the table. Blaine took a deep breath and glanced over at Wes. "If Wes doesn't mind, you can sing with me," he offered, hoping he wouldn't regret it.

Wes seemed to be taking visual inventory of Blaine's emotional state. When he seemed satisfied that Blaine was okay, Wes shrugged. "Fine with me."

Kurt's face broke out into the most glorious smile, and Blaine's worries about regret vanished. There was no way he could regret anything that put a smile like that on Kurt's face. Even if everything went catastrophically wrong and he had to move to another country and change his name out of shame, Blaine wouldn't regret it.

Kurt sank bank into his chair. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," he gushed. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

 _To me, too,_ Blaine thought.


	13. Chapter 13

While Kurt was thrilled how this had all worked out, some part of him, the more sober part, couldn't believe he had just walked up to a stranger in a bar and practically demanded to be allowed to sing a duet with him.

Kurt was just glad Blaine's back had been to him when he'd approached, because he didn't think, even in his tipsy state, that he would have had the courage to talk to Blaine if he had seen Blaine from the front first. Blaine was ridiculously attractive, with the elegant looks of a 50s movie star. Unlike most of the men in Warblers, who were in jeans and polo shirts, Blaine was in a sweater vest and bow tie, with a pair of bright red pants so tight, they should be illegal. Not that Kurt was staring. It just so happened that he had ended up following Blaine up the stairs to the stage. He couldn't help it if it put Blaine's…  _assets…_ at eye level.

The only flaw to this plan was that they hadn't had very much time to coordinate. Kurt was pretty sure this was going to be a disaster, but at least he was getting to sing. By the time he'd gotten Blaine to agree to let Kurt sing, then told Rachel she was off the hook, there had only been enough time to agree on which parts they were each going to sing. That hadn't taken long, since Kurt knew it was unlikely Blaine was also a countertenor, so the odds of him wanting the female part were low. Once that had been settled, Kurt had tried to find out if Blaine even could sing, but Blaine had been surprisingly coy. He'd simply insisted he could sing, but refused to give Kurt any proof. "You'll have to trust me," he'd replied with a wink when Kurt had begged for a short sample.

Now here they were, waiting on the side of the stage while Mercedes introduced them, and Kurt had no idea what to expect. He had never been so underprepared for a performance before. It was making him a little nervous, even if it was only Warblers. Looking over at Blaine didn't help, because Blaine had his eyes closed and looked as if he were about to pass out. Not a good sign.

Kurt followed Blaine to the center of the stage and waited as the music started. Blaine had closed his eyes again and had his head bowed. His microphone was tucked under his chin. Kurt was prepared to take over the male part as well, because it didn't seem like Blaine was going to be able to do this. How was he going to do karaoke if he couldn't even see the words and get his cue?

As the opening line scrolled onto the screen and the countdown began, Kurt lifted his microphone to his mouth, ready to go. Hell, he could duet with himself. He'd done it a million times in his room.

Just as the first word lit up, Blaine's eyes snapped open and his head lifted, and Kurt froze. "Never knew I could feel like this," he began in a smooth and surprisingly familiar voice. Kurt's mouth dropped open. He would recognize that voice anywhere.

Kurt knew he was ruining the performance atmosphere by gaping, but unknowingly, he had just stumbled into a duet to his favorite love song with his Youtube fantasy man, Nightbirdsong.


	14. Chapter 14

Blaine heard the music starting. He tried to focus on that and only that, ignoring all the background noise of the bar. His eyes were closed as he withdrew into himself, looking deep within for the courage to perform. He focused on memories of his high school self, fearless and confident, leading the glee club to victories as the soloist for most of sophomore, junior, and senior years. He remembered the thrill of being on stage, the energy of the crowd, the joy of sharing his voice and his passion with so many people.

The intro was almost over. Moulin Rouge was one of Blaine's favorite movies, and the soundtrack had always featured prominently on any playlists he made. Blaine could sing this song in his sleep (and probably had); he knew his cue was coming soon. Some small part of his brain registered the way Kurt's boots were shuffling slightly on the stage nearby, and Blaine figured he was nervous. Blaine knew he wasn't inspiring much confidence right now, acting like he was still in his backstage prep ritual and not seconds away from performing, but he didn't care. His only goal was getting the first word out. If he could do that, he thought there was a pretty good chance he'd survive this.

The last note of the intro faded. Blaine took one last deep breath, lifted his head, and opened his eyes. "Never knew I could feel like this," he sang. He felt a little shaky, and he wondered if his voice sounded as hesitant as he felt.

When he finished the second line, Blaine felt a little more sure of himself. This wasn't going to be his best performance, but he was going to survive it. Instead of holding him back, the adrenaline and his racing heart caused by the fear were fueling his determination and his excitement. The rush was familiar, a long-buried memory from his past of his cockier self, naïve enough to think that his talent was so special the world would just fall at his feet.

By the time he hit "Seasons may change," Blaine was feeling pretty good. He even felt bold enough to risk a glance over at Kurt… who was staring at Blaine as if he had sprouted wings and another head. It almost threw Blaine, but he hadn't become the lead soloist for one of the best show choirs in Ohio without encountering the occasional distraction. He shrugged it off and continued settling into his performance persona, focusing on portraying a man deeply and passionately in love, serenading his duet partner with promises of eternal love.

As he stepped closer to Kurt to finish the chorus, he noticed a slight redness to Kurt's face. Was he… blushing? Blaine couldn't imagine why. Kurt was definitely distracted by something, though, because he missed his cue by a split second, hardly noticeable except to Blaine, who saw Kurt startle in shock when he realized.

Kurt quickly recovered and threw himself into the performance with all the passion and feeling Blaine had come to expect from Kurt, and it gave Blaine a heady rush to experience that up close. It fed his confidence and pulled him even more deeply into the performance.

Blaine started to lose track of everything. The time, the crowd, the lights, the microphone. It was as if all that existed were Blaine and Kurt, two voices that fit together effortlessly, their harmonies blending more like two seasoned partners than two strangers. The roar of the crowd at the end of the final note was like a harsh alarm, intruding on this magical world he and Kurt had just built here on the stage. Kurt seemed to experience the same sudden awakening, because he blinked a few times as if refocusing. Then he glanced down at their joined hands – when had that happened? – and blushed again. Gone was the cocky, confident performer Blaine had come to know; in its place was an uncomfortable, shy, and utterly adorable man shooting nervous looks at Blaine from under his eyelashes.

Blaine immediately released Kurt's hand and turned with him toward the crowd. Blaine gave a quick bow while Kurt curtsied. Kurt was closer to the stairs, so he led the way off the stage. Kurt moved to the side so as not to block the path to the stage, and Blaine followed him.

"Well…" Kurt gave an awkward laugh. "Um, thanks for that. I appreciate it. It was a pleasure. You're a great performer. Sorry I doubted you. Have a nice night." The sentences were short and all jumbled together, as if Kurt was in a hurry to get out of there. Kurt gave a weak smile and started to step around Blaine.

"Wait, what? That's it?" Blaine was still shell-shocked. He had just performed on stage for the first time in 8 years. Sure, it was just a random karaoke bar, but… it was still a stage. And he felt… euphoric. That familiar post-performance energy was coursing through his veins, combined with the potent magical feeling Kurt induced. Blaine hadn't really thought through what would happen after their duet, but Kurt saying goodbye and disappearing was certainly not how Blaine wanted it to end.

Kurt's eyes were darting around nervously. "Yeah, I, um… I have to go."

Blaine stepped a little further away from Kurt to give him space. Blaine didn't understand why Kurt suddenly looked like a caged animal desperate for escape, but Blaine certainly didn't want to make him uncomfortable. If Kurt wanted to go, Blaine would let him go.

"I really enjoyed it. It was great performing with you," Blaine said, and Kurt's eyes held his for a minute as yet another blush crept up his face. What was with the blushing? Blaine didn't understand. He felt like he had missed something important, and now Kurt was slipping away.

Kurt nodded jerkily. "Yeah, it was great. Um… thanks again." He turned and started walking away.

Blaine watched Kurt go, with a sinking feeling that their story had just ended before it began.


	15. Chapter 15

Kurt made a beeline for the table where Rachel was still sitting. As soon as he was within hearing range, she pressed her hand to her heart and gave him a huge smile. "Kurt, that was…" she began.

Kurt didn't even sit. "Come on, we have to go."

Rachel looked taken aback. "What? Why?"

"Rachel, please. Let's go." Kurt resisted the urge to look over his shoulder and see if Blaine was still there. The situation was bad enough already; there was no need to embarrass himself further by acting like a stalker.

"But Kurt, that was  _incredible._ You and that guy were so… so…" She couldn't seem to find the right word, so she just fluttered her hands and sighed.

Kurt was already collecting Rachel's bag from the floor and trying to sling it over her shoulder. "Rachel, don't you recognize him?" He knew he probably looked a little ridiculous, panicking the way he was, but he needed to get Rachel out of there… and fast.

Rachel peered around Kurt's shoulder to get another look at him. "Don't look at him!" Kurt hissed.

"Well, I don't recognize him. Should I?" Rachel asked as Kurt hustled her toward the door, pushing her along in front of him.

"He's Nightbirdsong!" Kurt told her.

Rachel stopped abruptly, and Kurt bumped into her back. "What?! How do you know?"

"I recognized his voice," Kurt confessed, trying to get her to move again, but she wouldn't budge.

She twisted to look up at Kurt over her shoulder. "Are you sure?"

"Rachel, I've listened to the man non-stop, all day, every day, for the last several months. Trust me, I know his voice. He's Nightbirdsong."

Rachel turned all the way around. "Then why are we leaving? Go talk to him!"

Kurt's eyes widened in horror. "Are you kidding me? I can't talk to him!"

"Kurt, he's your fantasy man!"

"Which is exactly why I can't talk to him! Do you have any idea what a fool I just made of myself?"

"By what, singing an amazing duet full of chemistry and passion?"

Kurt finally gave up on trying to get Rachel to move and walked around her. He knew she'd follow him. When she caught up, he answered, "Not the duet itself. That was amazing. Even I know that. But the fact that I forced him into that duet… who does that? Who goes up to a random stranger's table in a karaoke bar, accuses the stranger of stealing their song, and then forces the stranger to sing a love song with them? Nobody, Rachel, except pathetic losers like me."

They were out on the street now, Kurt walking as quickly as possible to the subway station a few blocks away, while Rachel practically jogged to keep up with him. "But Kurt… he agreed… didn't he?" she huffed between breaths.

"Probably because I didn't really give him a choice and he saw it as the only way to get rid of the lunatic who had appeared out of nowhere demanding a duet!"

Rachel stumbled and twisted her ankle. "Ow! These shoes were  _not_ meant for jogging," she muttered. She rotated her foot a few times to work out the pain, then gingerly put some weight on it. She hissed slightly in pain, but after a few tentative steps she exhaled in relief. "Alright, nothing serious. Now. Back to you. You aren't a lunatic, Kurt."

Kurt gave her a skeptical look as they walked at a much slower pace toward the subway.

"Okay, maybe at this exact moment, you are a little bit," she conceded. "But clearly Nightbirdsong…"

"Blaine," Kurt corrected.

"Oh, was that his name? I didn't catch it when Mercedes introduced you. That's a nice name. It fits him well, doesn't it?" Rachel mused.

"Rachel…" Kurt groaned.

"Right. What was I saying?" She paused for a moment, searching for her train of thought. "Oh! Clearly  _Blaine_ didn't mind. After all, that duet was…" She let out a little  _whew_  and fanned herself.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "He was just being a good performer, Rachel. We already knew he was incredibly talented."

They had reached the subway stop. At the bottom of the stairs, Rachel moved to the side and began fishing through her bag for her MetroCard. Distractedly, she replied, "I don't think he was just performing, Kurt."

Kurt scoffed. "You think he was madly in love with me? Rachel, the man doesn't even know me."

Rachel had put a few cards from the bottom of her bag in her mouth to free her hands to continue searching, but Kurt could still make out her reply. "Yeah, because you ran away."

"What did you want me to do, stay and make more of a fool of myself?" Kurt protested.

Rachel had finally found her MetroCard, and she held it up in triumph. She dropped everything else back into her purse, then followed Kurt through the turnstile. "Why would you have made a fool of yourself? You could have just stayed and talked to the guy."

"By saying what? 'Hey, in case you're not uncomfortable enough with me already, considering I just harassed you into performing karaoke with me, I also happen to be obsessed with you on Youtube'?" Kurt maneuvered down the crowded subway platform until he found a space for them to stand.

"I'm sure you could have found a nicer way to say that to make it sound flattering," Rachel insisted.

"I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered. To him, I'll always be that weird guy who approached him at a karaoke bar and practically begged him to sing with me."

Rachel opened her mouth to argue, and Kurt held up a hand. "Seriously, Rachel, I know you're trying to help, but there is nothing you can say to change my mind. Nightbirdsong – Blaine – was an amazing fantasy, but like any good fantasy, it couldn't survive in the harsh light of reality. Now it's over."

Rachel pursed her lips like there was more she wanted to stay, but she seemed to decide against it. The train pulled up and they got on silently, and for the first time in a long time, Kurt didn't immediately pull out his phone to drown out the noise of the subway with Nightbirdsong. He wasn't sure he'd ever really be able to listen to him again, and he could only hope that in a city the size of New York, he and Blaine would never again cross paths.


	16. Chapter 16

Blaine stayed standing at the base of the stairs for a few minutes, processing, which made it easy for Mercedes to find him when she snuck off stage in the middle of a performance.

"Blaine, that was  _awesome!_ " she gushed, wrapping him in a huge hug.

"Thanks," he murmured distractedly.

"Seriously, I am so proud of you, and Sam is going to be so excited when he finds out, and I know I'm not supposed to be down here but I just had to tell you how proud I am of you. I knew you could sing, but that was incredible!" Then she glanced around. "Where's Kurt?"

Blaine was still staring at the door. "He left."

"He what?" Mercedes's eyes shot to the table where Rachel and Kurt had been sitting, as if she didn't believe him. When she found it empty, her brows drew together in confusion. "He left?"

"Apparently," Blaine replied.

Mercedes looked over at Blaine and opened her mouth to say something, just as a group of people filed up the stairs to the stage. Mercedes looked over at the singer on stage and realized he was wrapping up. "Oh, crap. I gotta go. I'll catch you later?" She was gone before Blaine could reply.

Blaine finally made his way back to the table where he had left Wes. Wes was grinning broadly. "That was fantastic! You did it!" he said proudly, holding out his fist. Blaine curled up his hand and let their knuckles bump.

"How do you feel?" Wes asked, still grinning.

Blaine was still scanning the bar, as if he expected Kurt to reappear. "Confused."

Wes's grin dropped. "Confused?" he repeated.

Blaine turned his attention back to Wes. "Yeah. You saw that, right?"

"Your performance?" Wes asked. "Yes, I saw that. I just congratulated you on it, remember?" He was giving Blaine a concerned look, as if he thought Blaine might have hit his head and lost his mind or something.

Blaine shook his head. "Not the performance. Well, not the singing part, anyway. You saw the… the…" Blaine waved his hands in a circle, as if he could conjure the word he was looking for from the air.

"The singing. The performance. The stage." Wes guessed rapidly and narrowed his eyes in concentration like he was playing a game of Charades. "Give me something to work with here, Blaine."

"The… you know… between me and Kurt…" Blaine gesticulated wildly.

"Chemistry? Intensity? Heat?" Wes offered.

" _Yes!_ " Blaine shouted loudly enough that the people at the next table looked over. Blaine held up his hands in apology. "Sorry," he offered. Then he turned back to Wes. "That's exactly what I mean."

"I didn't just see it, I felt it. I've got some residual burn," Wes joked.

"You felt it,  _I_ felt it… Kurt had to have felt it, right?"

"People at the epicenter of an earthquake typically don't sleep through it," Wes replied.

Blaine squinted his eyes and raised his hands in confusion. "You couldn't just say yes?"

Wes shrugged.

"Alright, well, your weird word choice aside, how could he feel that and run?"

Wes picked up his beer and finished it off. "Maybe he was worried about the aftershocks?" he suggested.

"Really? Sticking with the earthquake thing?" Blaine asked skeptically.

"It's a solid metaphor!" Wes defended.

Blaine didn't want to get into an argument about semantics. "Fine. Whatever. We'll use your metaphor. Aren't survivors supposed to band together after a natural disaster?"

"Actually, people react very differently to life-changing events. There's no protocol, and in fact, each person has a very unique and personal response to handling stress and unexpected alterations to their routine…" Wes began.

Blaine held up a hand. "Right. I forgot you're a social worker. Pretend I didn't ask."

"No, but it's actually quite interesting," Wes started, "the way…"

Blaine gave him a pleading look. "I'm sure it is, but please, send me an email or something. For now, can we just get out of here?"

"Oh, yeah, sure."

They stood and headed for the door. As they waited for a cab, Wes glanced over at Blaine. "I am really proud of you. You did a really awesome thing tonight."

"This another social worker thing? Positive reinforcement?" Blaine teased.

Wes shook his head. "Nah, just a friend happy to see his friend rediscovering a part of himself again."

Blaine had gotten so caught up in Kurt's quick exit, he hadn't really processed the bigger implications of tonight. "I got up on a stage and sang," he said in awe.

Wes smiled. "You did indeed."

Blaine let out a laugh of excited triumph as Wes stepped forward to hail a cab coming down the street. Once they had settled in the back and given the driver their addresses, Blaine looked over at his friend. "Thanks for tonight."

Wes's mouth quirked in a small smile. "You're welcome, I guess, but I didn't do anything."

"Yes, you did," Blaine argued. "I never would have done that without you there."

Wes shook his head. "You would have done it eventually, with or without me. I'm just glad I got to be there to see it."

Blaine knew it wasn't worth arguing with Wes further. He would continue to insist he had done nothing, but Blaine would never have gotten up without Wes's support. Blaine settled back in the cab and focused on being grateful for the great friends he had rather than the seemingly perfect guy he had lost.


	17. Chapter 17

The mild hangover headache was the first clue Kurt had that he hadn't just dreamt the events of the previous night. The next was the series of texts on his phone.

Rachel: "Good morning, sunshine! I'm at brunch with some girls from work. Hope you're feeling alright this morning, and remember, a good performance is never something to be ashamed of!"

Mercedes: "Kuuuuurt, why did you leave so quickly last night?! You were so good!"

Santana: "You better be in the middle of a sexual marathon with that fun-sized piece of man candy you sang with last night, or we are never speaking again."

Adam: "Thanks! I am so excited, in case you couldn't tell ;) Coffee soon? We should catch up."

Kurt groaned and buried his head under his pillow. Maybe later he'd look into Witness Protection, because watching yourself act like a complete and total fool had to be a crime worthy of an identity change.

One thing was for sure: he was never going back to Warblers.

Kurt's resolution didn't last very long. The first Friday after The Humiliation (as Kurt referred to it mentally, capitalization absolutely included), Kurt was able to talk his way out of going to Warblers, though Kurt suspected that was more due to the fact that Rachel had a date and wanted to show off. The second week, though, Rachel wouldn't take no for an answer.

"You're coming. It's what we do, Kurt, and we're not changing that because you can't deal with some silly embarrassment caused by an absurd fantasy over some man's hands on Youtube."

"For the last time, I wasn't obsessed with his hands!" Kurt argued.

Rachel ignored him. She stood in his bedroom doorway, tapping her foot impatiently. "You have ten minutes to change and then we're leaving."

Kurt scoffed. "What are you going to do to me if I say no?"

"Oh, don't worry. Physically I may not be very intimidating, but I've got some things up my sleeve." Rachel's eyes gleamed mischievously. "In fact, Santana and I…"

Kurt shot off his bed. "Dirty trick, Rachel. You know I'm terrified of her evil mind being turned against me."

Rachel smiled victoriously. "See you in ten minutes."

Kurt was already scrambling through his closet to find an outfit.

Twenty minutes later ("because I don't care what you and Santana are going to do to me, Rachel, you can't rush fashion!"), Kurt and Rachel were on the subway to Warblers. Rachel kept eyeing him as if she expected him to suddenly stage a riot or something. Kurt pretended not to notice her.

Kurt would never admit it to Rachel, but getting him out to Warblers was probably for the best. If he'd stayed in, he probably would have obsessively refreshed Nightbirdsong's/Blaine's Youtube channel, looking for new stuff. He hadn't posted anything since The Humiliation, leaving Kurt to rewatch old videos over and over again. Kurt had become an expert at ignoring the sharp sting of embarrassment he felt every time and instead focusing on the unfamiliar fluttering sensation that filled him as he remembered that attached to that set of hands was a gorgeous man who had sang an incredible duet with Kurt to Kurt's favorite love song. And while he would deny it with every breath in his body, there was a tiny, secret part of him, buried beneath the layers of embarrassment, that hoped he might happen to bump into Blaine again at Warblers tonight.


	18. Chapter 18

Though he was sorely tempted, Blaine decided not to go back to Warblers. After the way Kurt had run, Blaine didn't think Kurt would be too excited to see him there. Warblers was Kurt's place, so Blaine would give him his space. Blaine knew that made the odds of them ever running into each other again very slim, but Blaine was a romantic. If it was meant to be, it would happen. Somehow. And if it wasn't meant to be, well, Blaine had sang the most epic duet of his life with a beautiful man, and wasn't that enough?

For the first week, that was enough. Blaine relived every bit of the duet in graphic detail in his memory, like a favorite movie scene replayed over and over. He caught himself daydreaming at work more than once. A few nights, he even woke up from dreams of the duet, feeling happy and satisfied.

After a week, though, the bubble began to deflate. Blaine found it harder and harder to concentrate on the duet itself and instead fixated on the aftermath. Instead of replaying the moments on stage, Blaine replayed the moments just after. He remembered standing there, his heart in his eyes and on his sleeve and spilling out of his body, while Kurt searched for an escape route. He had been utterly and completely shaken to his core by Wes's metaphorical earthquake, and Kurt had just run off.

Two weeks after the duet, Blaine had hit his breaking point. There were so many feelings churning inside him, and he needed an outlet. Automatically, he found himself going for his keyboard. He randomly plucked out some melodies, and after two weeks away from his music, it felt soothing to be back. He kept mindlessly playing while he tried to figure out a song that would capture his feelings. It came to him rather quickly, and he stopped to grab his camera.

"How can I just let you walk away, just let you leave without a trace?" he began to sing, and he felt the anger and frustration edging out into his song. By the time he was done, Blaine felt calm again. Just like the song said, Kurt coming back to him was against all odds, but it was a chance he had to take. So he would wait, and hope.

By the first weekend of July, Blaine had just about given up hope of ever seeing Kurt again. After yet another Friday night spent thinking back to that magical Friday in June, he awoke on Saturday morning grateful for distracting plans that evening. Mercedes had decided to throw herself a joint 25th birthday party/4th of July celebration. Having been Sam's best friend for almost 7 years now, Blaine had celebrated quite a few birthdays with Mercedes, but this year she was "throwing the party she'd always dreamed of having" instead of the usual small gatherings at dorm rooms, apartments, or cheap bars. She and Sam had just moved to a bigger place, so there was finally room to host a larger party. Plus, as Mercedes justified, "You don't hit a quarter of a century every day."

Blaine got there early, to help Sam with set-up. Even though the party was Mercedes's idea and she had done most of the planning, Sam had insisted on actually executing her ideas. Sam didn't think Mercedes should have to be worrying about details and playing hostess at her own party. While Mercedes was in her room getting ready, belting out a series of Beyonce songs, Blaine and Sam set up tables with snacks, made sure the bar area was well-stocked with alcohol, and hung a mishmash of patriotic Independence Day and bright, flashy birthday decorations.

As they were finishing up, a dark-haired woman Blaine recognized as the bartender from Warblers showed up, carrying a huge cardboard box. "Put it away, Trouty Mouth, I've got better stuff," she said as Sam was rearranging alcohol by the bar. She dropped the box on the floor, and the distinctive sound of rattling bottles echoed through the apartment. Bending at the waist, she quickly transferred the bottles from the box to the bar with a graceful efficiency. Just as she was finishing, a shorter woman with chunky blonde highlights appeared in the doorway, carrying a box of equal size. "Hey, babe, where do you want this?" she asked.

The dark-haired woman kicked the now-empty box away and gestured to the vacated space, and the shorter woman placed the box there and helped unload. Sam didn't seem the least bit distressed by this invasion of the bar area, calmly moving bottles out of the way and restacking them on the shelf behind the bar.

When they had finished, the dark-haired woman arranged glasses and bottles to her liking, then glared over at Sam. "I'm warning you right now, don't even think about touching anything in this area or your birthday gift to your girlfriend will be your detached, limp…"

"Santana!" the shorter woman chided.

"Please, Trouty Mouth isn't offended. He's heard worse."

"Yeah, from you," the shorter woman retorted, but Santana ignored her. She'd just caught sight of Blaine, who had been watching the entire scene from a stepladder in the corner, the forgotten streamers in his hand blowing slightly in the air-conditioned room.

"Well, well, well. Fun-Size," the dark-haired woman said. "Tonight just got significantly more interesting." Then she looked over at Sam. "Does Cullen know he's here?"

Sam looked confused. "Who's Cullen?"

"I'll take that as a no. Excellent. This is going to be spectacular." Though the words sounded excited, the tone was more evil mastermind than enthusiastic party guest. Between that and the steady scrutiny Santana was giving him, Blaine was becoming extremely uncomfortable.

Finally, the shorter woman gently elbowed Santana. "Alright, he's sufficiently terrified." Then she turned her attention to Blaine and smiled brightly. "Hi, I'm Dani, and this ill-mannered vixen—" she inclined her head toward Santana, and though the words were harsh, there was a clear undercurrent of affection "—is my girlfriend Santana. Don't let her get to you; her bark is worse than her bite."

"You seemed plenty satisfied with my bite last night," Santana drawled.

Dani didn't even flinch. "You weren't the only one biting," she replied.

In the corner, Sam coughed, clearly uncomfortable with the way this conversation was going. Blaine was too overwhelmed to even react.

As if nothing unusual had just happened, Dani stepped forward and offered her hand. Blaine shook himself mentally and reached out his hand. "I'm Blaine," he managed to reply, as normally as he could considering the introductions had been interrupted by a conversation about their sex life.

Dani smiled brightly and began speaking, but Blaine was too distracted by the return of Santana's calculating look to hear what Dani was saying. Something was going on here that Blaine didn't understand, but he was mildly terrified to find out what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter comes with a thank you to TerribleSpy on FF, who suggested incorporating "Against All Odds" into a chapter. It was a perfect fit!


	19. Chapter 19

When Kurt and Rachel got to Mercedes's apartment, the party was already in full swing, even though they were only 15 minutes late. An already tipsy Mercedes greeted them at the door, pulling each of them in and planting slightly sloppy kisses on their cheeks. "You came!" she yelled happily. "Awesome! You're just in time! Sam's setting up the karaoke machine right now!"

She dragged them through the apartment, talking happily the whole time. "I know you probably think I'm silly, having karaoke at my birthday party when I have to deal with it all the time at work, but my friends are all talented, so it's going to be great. Especially now that you two are here. You have to promise me you'll perform. I know it's not Friday night at Warblers, but…" She stopped abruptly as they reached the back corner of the crowded living room, where a blonde-haired man was squatting, hooking up some speakers. "Rachel, Kurt, this is Sam, my boyfriend."

Sam turned and stood. As he caught sight of Kurt, his smile broadened, though Kurt couldn't understand why. "Hey, nice to meet you both," he said, extending a hand. Then he dropped his arm around Mercedes, who had stepped up next to him. "Glad you could make it."

"Thanks for inviting us! Your apartment is amazing!" Rachel gushed.

Kurt nodded in agreement as he surveyed the room. It was quite spacious for a New York City apartment. The living area where they were was open and minimally furnished. Along the back wall, opposite the front door where they had come in, two sliding glass doors divided the wall into thirds and led to a balcony. A built-in shelving unit took up the wall on the other side of the room, in front of which stood a small bar where Santana was clearly in her element, mixing drinks. Halfway down that wall, another wall jutted out; through the open archway Kurt could tell it was the kitchen. To the right of the door, about halfway down the wall behind Kurt, a hallway led off to the rest of the apartment.

Mercedes was excitedly talking about the apartment and assuring them she'd give them a tour later when Kurt saw a familiar head of black hair emerge from the hallway, lugging the remainder of the karaoke equipment.

"Rachel, tell me I'm hallucinating," Kurt hissed quietly as Mercedes's attention was snagged by another guest and Sam went back to assembling the karaoke equipment.

"What?" Rachel turned toward him.

Kurt pulled her behind another group of guests to hide a little and then pointed toward Blaine. "Tell me that's not who I think it is."

Instead of sharing his horror, Rachel smiled. "Nightbirdsong! Your duet partner! Oh, this is wonderful! Come on, let's go talk to him!"

Kurt yanked her arm, tugging her back out of sight. "Have you lost your mind? I can't go talk to him!"

Rachel sighed in frustration. "I still don't understand the big deal. You sang a beautiful duet with the man. You act like he caught you singing off-key and naked in the middle of Central Park or something."

Kurt ignored her and shifted slightly to stay out of Blaine's line of sight as Blaine reached the corner and shifted the equipment into place. Rachel made an annoyed noise with her tongue. "Is this your brilliant plan? Spend the entire party hiding behind other people?"

Blaine crouched down to plug something in, and Kurt darted across the room and placed himself so there were several large groups, as well as potted plant, between him and Blaine. "It's working, isn't it?" he replied to Rachel.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I'm going to get a drink," she announced as she stepped away.

"Wait! Can you get me one?" Kurt begged.

Rachel glared at him and shook her head. "Get your own."

Kurt groaned and made to follow her, but Blaine turned around, forcing Kurt back into his hiding place behind the potted plant. "Fine. I will," he mumbled to himself. "I don't need her."

Forty minutes later, Kurt was still edging his way toward the bar, but he had successfully managed to avoid being spotted by Blaine. Of course, he had drawn quite a few suspicious and confused look from a few other party guests when he'd suddenly gasped and ducked behind them, but really, if Blaine would just stand still, it wouldn't be so difficult.

Luckily, the karaoke managed to distract most people, so Kurt's suspicious behavior was going mostly unnoticed. Mercedes had opened with a powerful rendition of "Respect" by Aretha Franklin, and since then, there had been a steady stream of decent performances. Mercedes had been right – most of her friends were at least moderately talented, making this immensely less painful than listening to some of the drunker acts at Warblers. Santana's girlfriend Dani, who Kurt had met a few times in the past few years, did an amusingly sassy performance of "That Don't Impress Me Much" by Shania Twain, and Kurt could see Rachel hovering near the karaoke set-up, clearly waiting for her turn to wow everyone.

Kurt was lurking by the kitchen door when Rachel made her way to the microphone. Since they had just gone to Warblers last night, he wasn't surprised she had chosen a different song tonight. As she began to sing "I Feel Pretty," Blaine's head whirled in her direction. He seemed intensely focused on her performance, so Kurt took the opportunity to quickly glide across the room to the bar.

Santana quirked an eyebrow in surprise when he suddenly appeared in front of her. "Where the hell have you been all night?"

"Oh, you know, just around," he hedged, hoping the magical perceptive bartender power she claimed to have didn't extend to him.

He hoped in vain. "Hiding from a certain pocket-sized singing sensation is more like it," she muttered.

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about," Kurt said quickly.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh?" She cupped her hands around her mouth. "Hey, Bl—"

Kurt reached out and slammed his hand over hers, muffling the rest of her shout. He jerked back suddenly when he felt wetness against his palm. "Did you just lick me?" he asked in disgusted horror. "What are you, 5?"

Santana didn't look the least bit ashamed. "Next time I cut your hand off at the wrist. Better?"

Kurt leaned over and grabbed a stack of napkins. "Any chance you have antibacterial lotion back there?"

"Nope. Don't worry, I'm not diseased," she said casually, with a shrug that did nothing to ease Kurt's worry. "Now, about that man candy you are not hiding from…"

"Santana, no. I don't even know why he's here, but you can't do anything about it."

Santana gave him a look of challenge. "Oh yeah?"

Just as he was about to protest, Mercedes slid up next to him, drunker than the last time he had seen her. Kurt sighed in relief. Mercedes would be a great distraction, and he could use her as a cover to slip away from Santana back to safety. "Hey, baby!" she shouted, hugging him as if she hadn't seen him in months. "Isn't this party great?"

"The best," he agreed.

She leaned on him and sighed in contentment, before suddenly pulling back. "Hey. How come you haven't sung yet?"

Kurt's eyes widened in panic. "Oh, well, I sang last night, and I don't want to strain my voice…"

Her face drew down into an exaggerated pout. "But it's my birthday!"

Kurt thought quickly. "That's why you should perform again! I bet Rachel would duet with you."

Mercedes wasn't drunk enough to be that easily distracted. "Nuh-uh. You have to perform. It's my birthday, and I say you have to."

Kurt bit his lower lip and scrambled for an excuse not to. Santana leaned across the bar, and Kurt mistakenly thought she was about to help him out. "You know what would be great?" Santana whispered loudly. "Another duet." She looked pointedly across the room at Blaine, who seemed to be looking around the room for someone.

Mercedes leaned over and kissed Santana on the cheek. "That's a fabulous idea! Come on!" She grabbed Kurt's hand and started dragging him across the room toward the last person Kurt wanted to see.


	20. Chapter 20

Blaine had been chatting with some of Sam's modeling friends when he heard a familiar voice singing "I Feel Pretty." He whirled around and immediately recognized the girl who always accompanied Kurt to Warblers. Completely forgetting about the conversation he had been having, he immediately started scanning the crowd looking for Kurt. How had he not known Kurt was here? He hadn't been watching the door, nor had he even thought that Kurt might be here, but somehow it seemed he should have known he had been in the same room with Kurt for almost an hour. The party wasn't that big – surely he would have seen Kurt if Kurt were here.

When he had successfully ruled out Kurt's presence in front of him, he turned and started scanning to his left. He rotated in a counterclockwise direction, quickly searching each cluster of guests for that familiar chestnut-colored hair. He had almost made a full circle when he saw Mercedes making her way through the crowd straight toward him… with Kurt in tow.

Blaine barely had time to register the shock of Kurt's presence before Mercedes was standing directly in front of him. "Blaine! Blaine, Blaine, Blaine, I have the best idea! Well, Santana had the best idea."

Kurt was standing behind her, a flush creeping up his cheeks as he tried subtly edging away without making eye contact, but Mercedes tugged on his hand and brought him to her side. Kurt's amazing blue eyes shifted to lock with Blaine's before darting quickly away, and Blaine watched as the blush intensified.

Completely oblivious to the tension, Mercedes continued talking. "You remember Kurt, right?"

Blaine nodded and tried to play it cool. "Nice to see you again."

Kurt mumbled a garbled sound that might have been acknowledgement, but Blaine really couldn't tell.

"So I was thinking, I know you don't really like performing in public because of your past…" Mercedes barreled on, her moderate inebriation loosening her tongue. Blaine could feel his face warming and was thankful he didn't blush as easily as Kurt, or they'd be matching shades of tomato red right now. "…but you did such an awesome job at Warblers and this is a smaller crowd so you can probably handle it, right? And you and Kurt were so good last time…"

Mercedes was smiling at him hopefully, and Blaine took a deep breath to clear his thoughts. "You want Kurt and I to duet again?" he asked to buy some time. He knew that's what she wanted, but if Kurt's face was anything to go by, they could both use a little time to process.

Mercedes nodded. "You two are the most adorable duet partners ever, and it was so great."

Kurt's eyes met Blaine's again, and he seemed to be pleading for a way to say no. Blaine scrambled to think of something.

"It would be a really great birthday present," Mercedes added, clearly not above laying on the guilt a little.

"Why don't I just sing you something myself?" Blaine offered. Not that he was sure he would be able to perform solo without panicking, but considering how desperate Kurt seemed to be to avoid a duet, it was worth a shot.

Mercedes shook her head. "You can do that too, but I want a duet. Please?" she begged. "For my birthday?"

Blaine really didn't know how to say no to that. He opened his mouth to say something, when Kurt's voice interrupted him. "Well, how can we say no to that?" he teased, and Blaine was amazed at how steady and normal and confident Kurt's voice sounded considering the panic lingering in his eyes.

Mercedes clapped. "You two are the best! This is going to be so great!" She started to turn away, when something seemed to occur to her. "Can I ask one more favor?"

Blaine looked over at Kurt, who shrugged. "Sure," Blaine answered hesitantly.

"Could you do 'A Whole New World'?"

Kurt frowned. "I thought you hated that song."

Mercedes shook her head. "I hate that people are always destroying that song at karaoke. But it's my favorite romantic duet, and if a really talented pair of singers did it, maybe I could stop shuddering every time I hear it." Then she laughed. "Never mind. That's silly. You're going to do a duet for me. That should be enough."

Kurt glanced at Blaine in question, and Blaine nodded. "We'll do it," Kurt said, maintaining eye contact with Blaine.

Mercedes squealed in glee. "Seriously? Oh my gosh, you guys are the greatest! This is going to be awesome!" She dashed toward the front of the room, where someone Blaine didn't recognize was finishing up a performance. Blaine and Kurt followed in her wake.

From beside Blaine, Kurt muttered something that sounded like, "This is so embarrassing," but Mercedes had already taken over the microphone, so Blaine didn't have time to question it. All he could do was turn toward Kurt and quickly ask, "Jasmine?" Kurt nodded just in time, for Mercedes was shoving microphones at them and the music was starting.

Blaine was so overwhelmed at the speed with which things had just happened, stage fright was the least of his concerns. A minute ago, he hadn't even known Kurt was here, and now here they were, about to perform another duet. Blaine was just thankful Mercedes had picked such a popular Disney song and not something more obscure.

The intro was short, so Blaine didn't have much time to get into the spirit before he found himself singing, "I can show you the world, shining, shimmering, splendid…"

Just like last time, though, he found that by focusing on Kurt, the rest of the world disappeared. Blaine was totally absorbed in his performance, completely in the moment in a way he only ever could be on stage. When Kurt joined in and started to sing, Blaine felt as if he had stepped onto a magic carpet ride and was floating away into a world for just the two of them.

Unfortunately, this song was much shorter than their first duet, and it was over much too quickly for Blaine's liking. This time the post-performance spell was broken not by the applause of the crowd, though there was some clapping, but by Mercedes throwing her arms around both of them in a giant hug. "That was the best present ever! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

She was practically vibrating in happiness and excitement, and Blaine couldn't help but laugh at her glee. Then she released them with another whispered "thank you" and dashed across the room to greet a few new guests, and Blaine was struck with a feeling of déjà vu. Once again, he and Kurt had performed an amazing duet, and once again, Kurt looked like he was desperately plotting an exit strategy.


	21. Chapter 21

Kurt couldn't believe how spectacularly his plan had failed. Instead of avoiding Blaine completely and hiding until he had spent sufficient time at the party to be polite before saying goodbye, he was standing across from Blaine at the front of the room, performing another duet.

The whole time Mercedes had been talking to Blaine, Kurt had been studiously avoiding Blaine's eyes and trying to figure out what Blaine was doing here. Over the years he and Rachel had been going to Warblers, they'd met a lot of Mercedes's friends, and he'd never seen Blaine before The Humiliation. Then again, tonight was the first night Kurt had met Mercedes's boyfriend, and she'd been with him since high school, so obviously he hadn't met everyone in her life. But he'd at least  _heard_ of her boyfriend before. Mercedes had never even  _mentioned_ Blaine.

That distraction during their conversation was probably the reason he was stuck performing the sequel to The Humiliation. If he had been focusing, Kurt probably could have figured out a way to maneuver out of it. As it was, he had been helpless to say no when Mercedes had pouted and reminded them it was her birthday. Now he was trapped here, singing one of the best Disney love songs of all time, with a man who looked and sang as if he had just stepped out of a Disney movie himself.

If Kurt thought their last duet's preparation was rushed, this one was even more so. All they'd had time to do was confirm that Kurt was taking the part of Jasmine before the music had started. Kurt didn't envy Blaine; at least Kurt had the first verse to pull himself together mentally. Blaine just had to go, but Kurt would never have known it from the smooth perfection of Blaine's voice. Blaine sang like it was a natural movement, like belting out Disney love duets on a moment's notice was no harder than breathing. Even though Kurt knew what to expect this time, part of him was still completely in awe of Blaine's voice. Kurt felt that same fluttering sensation he got whenever he watched Blaine's Youtube videos, like his soul was jumping around in recognition.

 _And wasn't that just silly hopeless romantic drivel?_ Kurt thought to himself.

Blaine was hitting the chorus now, and Kurt refocused on the song and Blaine. By the time it was his cue, Kurt had channeled the little boy within, the one who had watched all the princess movies over and over and wished one day he could have his own Prince Charming.

Just like last time, Kurt was amazed by how effortlessly he and Blaine's voices blended, as if they had done this song a million times before rather than a spontaneous first-time performance. And just like last time, Kurt's first thought when they finished singing and Mercedes had wrapped them in a huge hug was escape.

Unfortunately, escape was much more difficult here. Even though Mercedes had quickly moved on to greet other friends, Kurt couldn't exactly bolt out of Mercedes's birthday party the way he had out of Warblers last month. While the apartment was rather large and there were a lot of people, there weren't so many people or so much space that he could disappear into the crowd without Blaine noticing.

Kurt was desperately scanning the room for Rachel, hoping he could catch her eye and get her to provide him some cover to escape, when Blaine spoke from beside him. "I bet the curtains could be used as a makeshift parachute. Even if those failed, we're only on the 11th floor. You could probably survive a free-fall."

Kurt turned toward Blaine in confusion. "What?"

Blaine's eyes were twinkling with amusement. "Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt your process." He pursed his lips in thought. "You could just go classic. Make it a full-on Disney night and just go for the pre-midnight dash. And then I'd get to hold on to one of those gorgeous shoes and admire it."

"What about my shoes?" Confused, Kurt looked down at his printed leather Alexander McQueen slippers, purchased for a steal thanks to his fabulous Vogue connections.

Blaine smiled nervously. "Never mind. Forget it. It was a bad Cinderella joke."

Kurt replayed the conversation in his head, but he still felt like he was missing something. "Why were you making a Cinderella joke?"

"Because you're looking for a way to run away again, and I get uncomfortable when people are silently searching for escape routes to get out of my presence, so I make jokes about it," Blaine admitted with a shrug.

Kurt had been scanning the room again, but his eyes snapped back to Blaine. "Run away again?" he questioned. "When did I run away before?"

Blaine barked out a laugh. "You're kidding, right?" Kurt just stared at him, all wide-eyed innocence and confusion. "Last time we sang a duet, you ran away as fast as your legs could carry you."

Kurt was already shaking his head before Blaine could finish. "No, I wasn't running away, I just had to leave…"

"In such a hurry that the Flash couldn't have kept up?" Blaine teased.

"The Flash?" Kurt repeated, looking confused.

"Not a comic book person, I take it," Blaine noted.

Kurt scrunched his nose in disgust. "Please. I get they're superheroes and everything, saving the world or whatever, but would it kill them to be a little more creative with their color palettes on their uniforms?"

Blaine threw his head back and laughed, a genuine laugh that sent tingles through Kurt's body and had him forgetting all about his intentions of escaping.

"I'm serious," Kurt argued. "It's like they all stumbled into the same primary colors-only surplus store."

Blaine grinned. "Green Lantern doesn't wear primary colors."

"I'm not sure that dressing exclusively in what I assume is a very basic and boring green all the time is much better," Kurt replied. "I mean, what's wrong with a nice sage?"

Blaine was laughing again. "Somehow I don't think a superhero in pastels would be very intimidating."

"He'd stand out from the crowd! It would be a bold fashion statement, and bold fashion statements are always intimidating," Kurt argued.

Blaine chuckled in amusement and ran his gaze down Kurt's outfit. "Somehow I'm not surprised you think so."

"Is that supposed to be an insult? Because if so, I'd like to point out that you are wearing a bow tie with… oh my God, are those little fireworks?" Kurt's tone was horrified, rather than impressed.

"It's festive!" Blaine replied defensively, self-consciously reaching up to straighten it.

Kurt eyed it distastefully. "That is no excuse."

Blaine shook his head in disappointment. "You have no holiday spirit."

"Okay, first of all, holiday spirit is only a thing for real holidays, like Christmas. Second of all, the only way that bow tie would put me in the 'holiday spirit,'" Kurt paused to make air quotes around the words, "is if it exploded like a firework and disappeared forever."

Blaine clamped a hand over it protectively. "You have no holiday spirit," he repeated emphatically. Then he tilted his chin to coo quietly, "It's okay, little buddy. He has no taste. Don't listen to him."

Kurt wanted to just glare Blaine into shame, but he couldn't keep a short laugh from escaping. At the sound of Kurt's laugh, Blaine's face broke out into a wide grin, like he had just discovered the secret to the universe, and Kurt wondered if maybe he had too.


	22. Chapter 22

When Blaine got home later, he was going to build a shrine to his comic books. Who would have ever guessed that a casual reference to The Flash would lead to actual conversation with Kurt?

Blaine had lost track of how long they'd been talking. The conversation about superheroes and bow ties had transitioned into a slightly more serious, but still amusing, conversation about fashion trends. Kurt was significantly more knowledgeable than Blaine, though, and Blaine finally admitted such when Kurt started discussing the most recent line of a designer Blaine had barely heard of.

"I just wrote a great article on him for the Vogue website," Kurt said. "You should read it."

Blaine looked at him in outrage. "Wait a second. This whole time, you've been hiding the fact that you work for Vogue? I think you cheated."

Kurt made a dismissive noise. "How is being knowledgeable about a conversational topic cheating?"

"It's like planting the Manning brothers in a casual backyard barbecue conversation about the upcoming season," Blaine explained. When Kurt just stared at him blankly, Blaine added, "They're professional football players."

Kurt shrugged. "I don't really watch a lot of football. I used to go to games a lot in high school, though. It was a great opportunity to show off my scarf collection."

Blaine rolled his eyes and gave a short laugh. "Sitting through a football game seems like a lot of effort for just a scarf."

Kurt looked offended. "Just a scarf?" he repeated. "Wow. I don't know if I can continue to talk to someone who doesn't appreciate scarves." He started to turn as if he was going to leave.

"Wait, no!" Blaine protested, though he was pretty sure Kurt was joking. "I appreciate scarves. I do. A lot." He could still vividly picture Kurt's outfit the second time Blaine had seen him perform at Warblers, the gorgeous black and red silk scarf flowing over that white button-down shirt, so he repeated emphatically, "I love scarves."

Kurt narrowed his eyes. "I don't think I believe you. After all, you wore that thing." He gestured to Blaine's bow tie. "That doesn't suggest very good taste."

Blaine touched the bow tie again. "Leave my poor bow tie alone. It has nothing to do with this."

"It should have nothing to do with anything. It should be sitting in some surplus warehouse, waiting to be destroyed," Kurt replied.

Blaine shook his head. "It's adorable, and you know it."

Kurt hesitated for a moment, pursing his lips as if considering something. He looked straight into Blaine's eyes as he finally replied, "Maybe a little," with a small flirtatious smile, before he flushed and looked away in embarrassment.

Blaine could feel his own skin starting to heat, because he knew Kurt wasn't talking about his bow tie anymore. Kurt was still looking away, evidently fascinated by something on the wall. "Courage," Blaine thought to himself. He took a deep breath and said, "You're more than a little adorable."

Kurt's eyes shot back to Blaine's face, and the blush intensified, which just made Kurt more adorable. Kurt seemed to be at a loss for words, if the way he opened his mouth a few times without speaking was any indication. He cleared his throat and pulled at the collar of his shirt, then stammered, "It's so hot in this room, isn't it? I'm going to go get a drink. Do you want anything?"

"Why don't I come with you?" Blaine offered.

"Oh, um… yeah, okay. Let's go." Since Kurt was closer to the bar, he turned and led the way.

Santana spotted them immediately. Without even asking what they wanted, she just started making them drinks. "Well, well, well. Fun-Size and Cullen finally found each other at last." She reached under the bar to grab something as she continued talking. "I haven't seen you boys since your duet, and Hummel looks awfully red, so I guess congratulations are in order." She leaned toward Kurt. "Please tell me at least that part of him is big."

"Santana!" Kurt gasped. Blaine hadn't thought it was possible, but Kurt turned even redder.

"Please, Hummel, we all know you've had sex, so spare me the blushing virgin act."

"Oh my God, Santana, we didn't have sex! We were just talking!" Kurt hissed.

"I wasn't talking about with him, though really, what's your excuse? Mercedes and Sam wouldn't notice, and their bed is really comfortable." Blaine almost interrupted to ask how she knew that, then thought better of it. Santana continued, "You dated that British hottie for like a decade. I know you two were going at it. I mean, there was that one time at the bar when I didn't feel like waiting for the ladies' room and I discovered…"

"SANTANA!" Kurt shouted again.

Santana poured some more alcohol into their drinks and slid them forward. "What? I'm sure Fun-Size here has had plenty of hot sex in naughty places too. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Kurt hastily grabbed the drinks, shoving one into Blaine's hands. "I swear to God, Santana, sometimes I just want to…" he muttered as he turned and began walking toward the open doors to the balcony. Blaine followed him, mostly on auto-pilot while he tried to process the exchange that had just taken place.

"You love me!" she shouted to their retreating backs. In reply, Kurt held up his middle finger over his shoulder, not even bothering to pause.

Kurt kept walking until they had reached a quiet corner of the balcony. After gulping down half the drink Santana had made, he finally turned and faced Blaine. "I am so sorry about that. Santana is… um… well, there's really no way to describe Santana. I would say inappropriate and offensive, but even that doesn't do her justice."

"I'm beginning to see that," Blaine agreed. He took a sip of his drink, then choked when it was significantly stronger than he expected. "What the hell is this?"

Kurt shrugged. "I don't usually ask questions. If you ask, then she starts to get offended because you're challenging her expertise and not trusting her, and in retaliation she starts lashing out. If you think Santana is bad now, wait until you see her going for revenge."

Blaine shuddered. "I cannot even imagine. I'm already terrified of her, and other than that just now, the only interaction we had was like 30 seconds before the party while she was setting up. I'm still not even sure what happened, but I know I've never been filled with such a sense of dread."

"Sounds like Santana," Kurt agreed. He took another small sip of his drink, followed by few deep breaths, as if he were still trying to recover from their encounter with Santana. "Why were you here before the party?" he finally asked.

"Sam… you met Sam, right?" Kurt nodded. "Sam's one of my best friends, and he asked me to come over and help him set up."

"Ah," Kurt said in understanding. "That explains why you've been stalking me."

Blaine's eyes widened in horror. Internally, he was panicking. Somehow Kurt must have noticed him at the bar those few weeks and realized Blaine was only coming to watch him sing, and  _oh God, Kurt must think he was so creepy and weird!_

Kurt let out a short laugh. "I'm kidding. It's not like you knew I was going to be here tonight, right?"

Blaine shook his head, smiling in relief. "Maybe you're stalking me," he teased back.

Kurt's eyes shifted away from his for a minute as if he was uncomfortable. Before Blaine could figure out why, Kurt scoffed. "Please. Don't flatter yourself. I didn't even know why you were here until 10 seconds ago."

"Maybe that's just what you want me to think."

Kurt rolled his eyes, and Blaine laughed. They stood side-by-side in silence for a few minutes, looking out over the courtyard between the buildings in the complex. Blaine was slowly replaying the conversation with Santana in his mind. He had so many questions, but he chose to ask the one that seemed the safest and least likely to upset Kurt. "Why does she call me Fun-Size?" he wondered aloud.

Kurt didn't need clarification. "Santana has all sorts of ridiculous nicknames for people, and most of them barely make any sense. She calls Mercedes 'Wheezy' just because she says Mercedes reminds her of the wife from 'The Jeffersons,' you know, that old sitcom? She calls me 'Cullen' because she says my skin is so pale it practically sparkles like, and I quote, 'those silly fake vampires from those trashy novels about that boring girl.'"

"But there are at least reasons?" Blaine confirmed.

"Ridiculous ones, but yes."

"So again, why does she call me Fun-Size?"

Kurt bit his lower lip, glancing over at Blaine. "I'm not sure how to say this delicately…"

"Just say it," Blaine said. "I'm not going to get mad at you."

Kurt turned back to look out at the courtyard. "It's because she thinks you're short, like a fun-sized candy bar."

Blaine considered that for a minute. "I think I'm okay with that."

Kurt raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You are?"

"Given the infinite possibilities, she could have chosen something significantly more embarrassing. I can handle Fun-Size."

"You better hope she never hears you say that, or she'll change it immediately."

Blaine gave Kurt a charming smile. "I hope I can trust you, then."

Kurt mimed zipping his lips and locking them, and Blaine fixated on Kurt's mouth. Blaine felt an overwhelming urge to lean forward and just press his lips against Kurt's, to feel the softness against his own mouth, to slip his tongue in and taste Kurt…

Blaine blinked rapidly to clear his thoughts. Kurt was giving him a slightly inquisitive look over the rim of his glass, and Blaine scrambled to come up with something to say.

Luckily, Mercedes appeared on the balcony, leaning heavily on a much more sober Sam. "Sparkler time!" she yelled happily, waving the sticks in the air. She made her way around the balcony, handing them out to the guests who were out there. "Sam wanted to do fireworks, but obviously that wouldn't be safe on the balcony," she confided in a loud whisper to Kurt and Blaine as she handed them each a sparkler.

A few more people came out onto the balcony, most likely drawn out by the promise of sparklers, and Mercedes tripped back to the doors to pass out the sparklers until she only had two left. Then she started patting herself down as if searching for something, even though her dress had no pockets. "Sam, where are my matches?"

Sam shifted her slightly so he could reach into his pocket and pulled out a box of matches. Mercedes reached for them, but Sam moved them quickly out of reach. "Hey! I gotta light everyone's sparklers!" Mercedes slurred.

"Why don't you take a seat," Sam suggested, navigating her toward a chair against the wall, "and I'll do it?"

Mercedes smiled happily. "You're the bestest boyfriend ever."

Sam eased her into the chair and quickly kissed the crown of her head. Then he pulled out a match and struck it, lighting Mercedes's sparkler. "Oooo, pretty!" she cooed, waving it through the air.

Sam quickly made his way around the balcony, trying to light everyone's. Blaine set his drink on the balcony railing and stepped forward to help, grabbing a few matches and lighting people on the side of the balcony where he and Kurt had been standing. He saved his and Kurt's for last. After lighting his own, he touched it to Kurt's. Now that the balcony was more crowded, he and Kurt had ended up closer together.

"Thanks," Kurt murmured as his sparkler lit up.

"My pleasure," Blaine replied softly, gazing into Kurt's eyes. It felt like a magical moment – standing close together, surrounded by people yet secluded in their own corner, everyone's sparklers giving off twinkling light… and Kurt seemed to be leaning closer…

Blaine suddenly felt a tickle near his throat. He looked down and found Kurt's fingers inches away from his neck. "Hey!" he protested.

"Damn. So close," Kurt mumbled under his breath as he lowered his hand.

"What were you doing?" Blaine asked.

"This seemed like the perfect opportunity to destroy that hideous thing," Kurt said, gesturing once again to the bow tie. "Just grab it, hold it to my sparkler, and watch it go up in flames like it deserves."

"And what, kill me in the process?"

"No! That's why I didn't just hold my sparkler to your throat. I didn't want to burn your neck."

"So instead you thought you'd strangle me by yanking off my bow tie?"

"It's not a clip-on?" Kurt asked.

"Of course not!" Blaine replied, almost offended. "I told you, I have taste, Kurt."

"Let's not go too far," Kurt retorted. "But I am both impressed and disappointed that something so hideous isn't just a clip-on."

"I can't believe you were trying to destroy my bow tie. You are so oddly obsessed with it. Here I thought you were…" Blaine abruptly cut himself off. Clearly Santana's strong drink had gone to his head faster than he thought, even though he'd only had a few sips. He was losing his filter.

"You thought what?" Kurt asked.

"Nothing. Never mind," Blaine said. He looked over at their sparklers, which had fizzled out. "Looks like the sparklers are dead. Want me to go get rid of them?"

Kurt gave Blaine a slightly calculating look, then muttered what sounded like, "Courage," under his breath. Before Blaine could move, Kurt surged forward and pressed a soft kiss against Blaine's lips. It was quick and light, but Blaine still felt like his heart had exploded.

Blaine was so shocked by the unexpected kiss, he froze when Kurt pulled back. Kurt apparently misinterpreted that as disapproval, because he shuffled back further. "Sorry. Santana's drink was really strong, and it kind of lowered my inhibitions and clearly also ruined my judgment and my ability to read social cues and…"

Blaine shook his head slightly to try to cut off Kurt's rambling apology, but when that didn't work, he lifted his empty hand, cupped Kurt's jaw, and leaned forward to kiss Kurt. He caught Kurt mid-word, so Kurt's mouth was slightly open. Blaine was sorely tempted to slip his tongue into Kurt's mouth, but didn't want to push it. Instead, he kept the kiss soft and gentle, lingering a little when he pulled back.

"Oh," Kurt breathed quietly, lifting a hand to his mouth and lightly touching his lips with his fingers. He looked as dazed and stunned as Blaine felt.

To give them both a little time to process, Blaine reached out his hand and gently disentangled Kurt's sparkler from his fingers. "I'm going to go get rid of these, and then I'll be back. Okay?"

Kurt nodded.

Blaine carried the sparklers over to the balcony door, where Sam had set out a bucket with sand for the used sparklers. After taking a deep breath, he turned back toward Kurt, who still looked a little lost and surprised. Blaine couldn't blame him – he was pretty sure he looked the same way. It had only been two relatively chaste kisses. Neither had lasted very long. They shouldn't have had such an impact on him. But they had. From Blaine's perspective, the only thing to do was explore this… thing… between them, whatever it was. Blaine just hoped that Kurt would agree and wouldn't suddenly choose this moment to remember his desire to escape.


	23. Chapter 23

Kurt pressed his fingertips to his tingling lips. He had kissed Blaine. Blaine had kissed him. He knew he should be trying to figure out what this meant, what to do about it, what to say, but all he kept thinking was  _Wow._ Kurt had kissed people before, and never once had he felt this overwhelmed by something that barely ranked above a peck. Yet here he was, with his heart racing like he'd run a marathon at a sprinter's pace, his body revving like the old classic cars his dad sometimes restored.

Kurt appreciated that Blaine had offered to dispose of the sparklers, because Kurt wasn't sure he was capable of moving at this exact second. Santana's drink had been strong, but kissing Blaine had been far more intoxicating. While Blaine made his way across the balcony, Kurt focused on taking deep, calming breaths. He needed to cool down a little, or he'd make the mistake of throwing himself at Blaine the second Blaine returned, and Kurt knew that was a horrible idea.

Blaine was on his way back, and Kurt couldn't help but stare. Blaine was quite possibly the most attractive person Kurt had ever met in real life. Even that silly bow tie Kurt kept teasing him about just added a cute touch to Blaine's classically good looks… not that Kurt would ever admit it. Kurt admired him as he walked across the balcony, his confident stride projecting comfort in his body, which Kurt found so hot. Kurt found everything about Blaine so hot.  _And I just kissed him_ , Kurt's brain sighed in contentment.

Though Blaine's stride was confident, his face was unsure when he reached Kurt. "Hi," he said hesitantly, a tentative smile on his face.

"Hi," Kurt replied a little breathily, because even with all that deep breathing, he hadn't quite recovered yet. He smiled warmly, and Blaine's tension eased and his smile broadened.

Kurt knew they probably looked ridiculous, just standing there goofily grinning at each other, but Kurt didn't want to break the spell. He would have been quite happy to stand there smiling at Blaine all night, but sadly reality intruded in the form of a drunken Rachel.

"Kuuuuuurt," she sang as she stumbled across the balcony. "I found you!"

She tripped into his side, and Kurt wrapped an arm around her shoulders to steady her. "Hi, Rachel."

"We haven't sang a duet yet," she whined. "We should…" She broke off abruptly when she noticed Blaine, and her jaw dropped.

To try to prevent Rachel from blurting out something embarrassing, Kurt immediately jumped into introductions. "Blaine, this is my friend and roommate Rachel. Rachel, this is…"

"Nightbirdsong! Your Youtube obsession! Oh my God, you have no idea how much Kurt loves you, like, it's probably not even healthy how obsessed he gets…" Kurt's hand clamped over Rachel's mouth, but it was too little, too late. She had already said too much.

Blaine's face froze in what looked like horror, and Kurt wanted to evaporate. If the balcony were to suddenly break into pieces and Kurt fell through a black hole into another dimension, that really wouldn't be so bad. So much for warm, fluffy, post-kiss grinning.

Rachel was still trying to speak even with Kurt's hand over her mouth, but between her drunken slurring and the hand, it was just an indistinguishable mumble. Blaine was still wide-eyed with shock. Kurt desperately tried to find words that would make this whole situation less creepy, but his brain was still fuzzy with alcohol and hormones, so nothing came to him. It seemed like there was only one thing to do.

"I should probably be getting her home," Kurt said quickly, tilting his head toward Rachel. "It was great to see you again. Thanks for the duet… and um… you know. Anyway. Have a nice night." Kurt started moving as quickly as his legs would carry him toward the apartment, practically dragging Rachel with him.

Kurt knew it wasn't really polite to disappear from Mercedes's party without saying goodbye, but he couldn't wait around to find her. Hopefully she was drunk enough that she wouldn't notice, and he could text her in the morning anyway.

Kurt continued hustling Rachel to the door. Somewhere behind him, he thought he heard someone calling his name, but he didn't want to stop and find out. He navigated them out the door and to the elevator, which thankfully came quickly. Once out on the street, he hailed a cab; between Rachel's inebriation and Kurt's need to get away quickly, the extra expense was worth it tonight. It was only when they were settled in the back of the cab that Kurt finally relaxed a little.

"This seems familiar," Rachel observed, resting her head against the back of the seat.

"What?" Kurt asked distractedly, mentally calculating how far away he could get with the meager savings in his bank account and idly wondering how expensive a trip to Antarctica would be.

"You running from Blaine. It's like déjà vu." Then Rachel giggled. "Déjà vu. That's such a funny word." She repeated it again, dragging out the vowel sounds.

"Well, if you hadn't humiliated me, I wouldn't have had to run."

Rachel gasped. "Me? What did I do?"

"You told Blaine I knew about his Youtube channel!" Kurt accused.

Rachel shrugged. "So?"

"You told him I was obsessed with him!"

"Because it's true!" Rachel replied. When Kurt opened his mouth to disagree, Rachel cut him off. "You can't handle the truth!" Then she laughed and repeated, "You can't handle the truth!" again in a deeper voice and launched into the monologue from  _A Few Good Men_ , which she had watched repeatedly a month ago to prep for an audition.

Kurt sighed and turned to look out the window. There was no use arguing with Rachel when she was this drunk. Instead, he went back to contemplating how to disappear. He wondered if NASA was accepting applications for astronauts to Mars.


	24. Chapter 24

Even though it was nearing on 4 AM by the time Blaine got home, he knew he wasn't going to sleep yet. He couldn't believe he'd let Kurt run away again. Blaine had spent the rest of the night kicking himself for freezing like that. He'd just never met  _anyone_ who had seen his Youtube channel and figured out who he was, so the fact that not only was there someone who had, but also that that someone was  _Kurt_  had completely blindsided him. By the time he'd snapped out of it, Kurt had already been halfway out the door. Blaine had intended to catch up with him in the hall, but just as he'd reached the door, a party guest had started vomiting. Sam had been too busy keeping an eye on the still-very-drunk Mercedes, so while Dani had appeared quickly to escort the poor guy to the restroom, Blaine had headed for the cleaning supplies. Kurt had been long gone by the time Blaine had finished.

The party had started to break up shortly after that, and the last guest had left a little after 2. Sam had vanished down the hall with Mercedes to help get her ready for bed. He'd told Blaine not to worry about the mess, but Blaine hadn't wanted to leave Sam alone with it. Since Santana had stayed to pack up her bar supplies, Dani had also offered to help. Blaine had given her the box of trash bags, and she worked her way around the apartment, picking up discarded cups and napkins. Blaine had worked on clearing off the snack table and wiping down surfaces, avoiding Santana as much as possible, who had been making him nervous by repeatedly glancing at him and muttering in Spanish.

Even with the three of them, plus Sam when he had reemerged from the bedroom, it had taken nearly an hour to bag up all the trash and get everything put away. By the time Blaine had helped Sam carry all the garbage down to the trash room and store the karaoke machine, it had been close to 3:30. Luckily it hadn't taken him too long to catch a cab, but the ride across town had been long. During the trip home, Blaine had finally allowed himself to think about Kurt. He wished Rachel had stumbled by a little later, after they'd exchanged numbers. At least then he would have some way of contacting Kurt to apologize. If Mercedes hadn't been so drunk, Blaine might have asked her for Kurt's number. Instead, he was left exactly where he had been a month ago, completely shaken and completely alone.

Blaine wandered through his apartment, trying to figure out how to work off some of his restless energy. There was one obvious answer, to both his current problems: a Youtube video. It would let him burn off some steam and also hopefully send a message to Kurt.

Without really thinking about it, he sat down at his keyboard and started playing random melodies, trying to decide on the perfect song. Blaine wanted something that would capture his feelings without being overly cheesy or coming on too strong. He mentally searched through his repertoire, but came up blank. Nothing quite captured the feeling Blaine wanted to share.

Sighing, Blaine walked away from the keyboard and started surfing through his music collection on his laptop. When nothing jumped out at him, he started scrolling through lists of love songs on the internet. Finally, he found it in a list of boy band love songs: "I Can Love You Like That" as covered by All-4-One. It was a little cheesy, but Blaine was okay with that.

He found some sheet music online and played through a few times, making a few adjustments here and there, then set up his camera and recorded. While the video was uploading, Blaine made another shorter recording and attached it to an email to Mercedes.

Once that was done, Blaine knew all he could do was wait and hope. Again. At least this time he could be satisfied with the knowledge that he'd actually tried. He wasn't leaving everything up to fate again.


	25. Chapter 25

When Kurt woke up the next morning, he was disappointed to see he was still in his bed in New York City, and not living in a small anonymous chateau in the French countryside. "So much for that whole wishing on a star business," Kurt muttered. Then again, it probably didn't count if the star was just a passing airplane rather than a celestial body, but living in a city as bright as NYC, Kurt had done the best he could.

Given how hungover Rachel was likely to be, Kurt didn't expect to see her for a while, which meant she probably wouldn't be joining him for his Sunday morning ritual of coffee and a pastry from the tiny little bakery several blocks away. Kurt didn't particularly mind. Rachel only joined him about half the time anyway, and this morning, Kurt wasn't sure he was ready to engage in casual conversation about last night anyway.

Though it was Sunday, it had a weirdly Saturday-like feeling to it, since the following day was the 4th of July and therefore a day off. Kurt lingered longer than usual in the shower, then took his time getting dressed. As usual, he grabbed a few reusable shopping bags on his way out the door for his weekly stop at the grocery store. He scrawled a short note to Rachel and left it on the counter under a glass of water and some aspirin for her inevitable headache, then headed out the door.

The city was especially quiet, even for a Sunday morning, most likely because people had gone away for the holiday weekend. Kurt almost wished it weren't – it was far too easy to dwell on last night's embarrassment when he wasn't constantly dodging other pedestrians. He'd been hoping getting out of the apartment would be a distraction from that. At the bakery, he spent extra time chatting with the owners, a cute older Italian couple he'd befriended in his many trips to the bakery. He wandered more than usual in the grocery store, looking at items he didn't even need. Eventually, though, he ran out of ways to delay the inevitable. It was time to go back to the apartment and face Rachel… and even worse, his own thoughts.

Back at the apartment, the water and the aspirin were gone, but Rachel's bedroom door was closed again. Kurt assumed she was curled up in bed, moaning that she would never drink alcohol ever again, which is how she usually spent days with severe hangovers. Kurt stowed the groceries and headed for his own room. He sat down at his desk and booted up his laptop to check his email.

The first thing that caught his eye was an email from Youtube about a new video on nightbirdsong's channel. Kurt resolutely tried to ignore it, instead reading the email from his dad and chuckling at the blunt and unflattering descriptions of some of the garage's recent customers. He scrolled past the email to open some older fashion newsletter emails he hadn't really been interested in reading until now. He even replied to a message from Adam and glanced at his spam folder to make sure nothing had accidentally ended up in there. Out of distractions, his curiosity finally got the better of him, and he opened the email and clicked on the video, then nervously bit his lower lip.

Just like Blaine's other videos, there was no intro, and the only things visible were the keyboard and Blaine's hands. Kurt immediately recognized "I Can Love You Like That," since cheesy boy band love songs were a secret guilty pleasure. As usual, Blaine's voice was steady and confident, and Kurt was filled with that same familiar longing.

When the song finished, Kurt's mind went into overdrive. There was no way Blaine could have posted this for him… not after last night. He'd probably posted yesterday and Kurt hadn't seen it. Kurt glanced quickly at the text below the video and saw the published date was July 3.

Okay, so he'd posted it today, but there was probably some way to schedule a post, so he'd probably recorded the video weeks ago. Or maybe he'd met someone else after Kurt had left last night, someone who wasn't a creepy stalker. It had nothing to do with Kurt. It couldn't. Not after Rachel had blurted out his secret.

Kurt let his eyes wander a little further to the video description. "To my Cinderella – you forgot to leave your shoe."

Kurt gasped. There was no mistaking that message.  _Blaine had posted a song for him!_ Kurt didn't understand why Blaine wasn't more freaked out by Rachel's confession, but it didn't matter. Blaine had sung him a song! Kurt pulled out his phone… and then realized he had no way of contacting Blaine. He hadn't stayed long enough to get his number, or email, or anything. He had the most adorable man in the world serenading him via Youtube, yet he had no way to get in touch with him. _Welcome to your life, Kurt Hummel,_ he thought to himself.

He moped for a minute, hitting replay and dejectedly staring at the Youtube video as if some solution would magically appear. Then Kurt smacked himself in the forehead. "Duh. Mercedes!" he muttered to himself. If Blaine was Mercedes's boyfriend's best friend, Mercedes would know how to contact him. Kurt glanced over at the clock – a few minutes before noon. He tried to decide if it was too early to contact her, considering the hangover she was probably nursing this morning.

Luckily, he didn't have to debate very long. A notification popped up on his phone, alerting him of a new email from Mercedes. Kurt clicked back to his email on his laptop and opened the message.

_Hey, boo,_

_I have no idea what happened last night between you and Blaine, because you might have noticed I was a little… happy, let's say. Anyway, all I know is that I woke up to an email from him begging me to send you his contact info and the attached video. So here you go_.

_Also, he didn't tell me to say this part, but I've known Blaine for a long time now, and he's a fantastic guy. Like, really fantastic. Like if he were straight, I'd consider dumping Sam for him. Okay. Maybe not; I do love Sam a lot. But Blaine is great, so I hope you'll at least give him a chance… or let him give you a chance, depending on who screwed what up last night._

_Thanks for coming to my party, and have a happy 4_ _th_ _!_

_Mercedes_

_xoxoxo_

At the bottom of the message, she'd listed an email address and a phone number. Before Kurt did anything with them, he clicked to open the video file.

The setting was the same as Blaine's Youtube videos, but the camera had apparently been shifted, because Kurt could actually see Blaine's face. He was still wearing the bow tie and he looked exhausted, so Kurt assumed he had recorded this late last night before going to bed.

"Kurt. I am so sorry. I was just so surprised to be recognized from my Youtube channel, because as you can tell, I try to keep it pretty anonymous, and I froze. It's a long and complicated story why, one I'm not even sure I fully understand, but please let me try to explain it to you. Or at least… I don't know." Video Blaine scrubbed a hand over his face, and Kurt could tell he was fighting sleep. "Sorry, I don't even know what I'm saying, and it's late so I'll probably end up saying something inarticulate that will screw everything up again, so I'm just going to stop talking. Just… um…" Blaine shifted a little and placed his hands over the keyboard, then sang, "Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but here's my number, so call me maybe?" Then he gave a short little laugh, and Kurt laughed along with him. "Or text me. Or whatever. I just… I don't want tonight to be the end. I  _really_ don't want tonight to be the end." He was staring straight at the camera as he said that, his eyes sincere and unflinching. Then he blinked and smiled. "Anyway, I hope to hear from you soon, because I don't know how long I can wait before I pester Mercedes to give me your number anyway, even though I told myself I'd leave it entirely in your hands because I want you to be comfortable, so I can be comfortable." Then he shook his head. "Sorry. I'm overtalking. It's late. I'm tired. I'll um… I'm just going to cut this off now. Bye, Kurt. I am  _so glad_ I bumped into you again, and I hope to hear from you soon. I think I already said that. But I really mean it." Blaine gave him another sincere and heartwarming smile, waved briefly, and then shifted out of frame as the camera went black.

Kurt didn't even bother worrying if Blaine was awake or asleep. He pulled out his phone, punched Blaine's number into his contacts, and immediately sent a text.


	26. Chapter 26

Blaine wished he were capable of sleeping late. By the time he'd gotten to bed last night, it had been almost 5:30, so he'd hoped for once his internal body clock would let him get some rest. Of course it didn't. Two and a half hours later, he was awake, as if he had set his usual weekday alarm. Groaning, he rubbed his eyes. It was going to be a slow day today, that was for sure, and coffee was a must.

He slid out of bed and padded to the kitchen to brew some coffee. He barely even registered the first cup, chugging it down in the hopes it'd kick in quickly so he wouldn't be wandering like a zombie for hours. He took the second cup with him to the kitchen table, along with the bowl of cereal he'd poured. Usually on weekends, he liked to indulge in a bigger breakfast, usually after a nice long run, but this morning, Blaine would be surprised if he even made it to the shower.

While he ate, Blaine idly thumbed through the previous day's paper, which he'd never cleaned up. He knew the Sunday paper was probably sitting outside the door, but the effort required to go to the door to retrieve it was far too much for Blaine's current energy level.

After he finished his second cup of coffee, Blaine was energized enough to shuffle to the bathroom. On his way back to the living room, he shuffled to the front door and picked up the paper, dropping it on the coffee table. His mind was too hazy to actually read anything. He sank onto the couch and channel-surfed until he found a _Law and Order_ marathon.

It was just as the fifth episode started that Blaine heard his phone's text message sound echoing from his bedroom. He rolled to a sitting position and meandered down the hall to grab it. Probably Sam or Mercedes, thanking him for his help last night.

He unlocked his phone screen and found a message from a number he didn't recognize. "Are you a glutton for punishment or something? Do you have some weird fetish for humiliation that you're expecting me to fill? Because I assure you, despite all evidence to the contrary, I don't regularly find myself in embarrassing situations, so you're going to be disappointed."

The last of Blaine's sleepiness vanished.  _Kurt. It had to be Kurt._ Still, just to be sure, he typed back, "Kurt?"

The reply was immediate. "Are you expecting multiple texts today from people who are constantly in embarrassing situations around you?"

Blaine laughed. "No," he replied. "And none of our situations have ever been that embarrassing."

"You must have weird standards for what constitutes 'embarrassing.' I would say semi-drunkenly begging a stranger to let you duet, hearing about my sexual history from my no-filter friend, and finding out I'm a creepy stalker because my other friend can't keep her mouth shut all count," Kurt's answering text read.

"You ever consider that maybe you need new friends?" Blaine teased. "Ones who aren't likely to embarrass you at any given moment?"

"All the time." Kurt replied. His next text was almost immediate. "But I do notice that there's a huge imbalance of embarrassingly revealed secrets in this relationship. I hope you have some friends who can rectify that."

"I'll give you Sam's number. He'd be more than happy to help. I think embarrassing me is his life mission."

"Sounds perfect."

"You know, you're not a very good creepy stalker," Blaine typed, then hesitated before pressing send. What if that would just embarrass Kurt and send him running? Blaine reread their text exchange so far and decided to risk it. Kurt seemed to be pretty playful this afternoon.

Kurt's reply was an angry emoticon, followed by, "Says who?"

"Well, if you were, you'd be here right now."

"Who says I'm not?" Kurt replied with a winking face.

"I do, because I'm here and I don't see you."

"That's the definition of a good stalker."

Blaine sent back an emoticon sticking out its tongue, then added, "If you were here, I'd much rather you be visible and with me than hiding in a tree outside my window watching me. There are much better ways we could be spending our time together."

There was a long pause before the next reply came in, long enough that Blaine panicked he might have been too forward or too… something. Finally, a new message appeared. "Why, Mr. Whatever-Your-Last-Name-Is, I'm not entirely sure I know you well enough to allow that kind of talk."

Blaine smiled. "Anderson," he typed. "My last name's Anderson."

"Pleasure to meet you, Blaine Anderson, but that's not enough."

Blaine sent back a frowning face. "What else can I do?"

"Go on a date with me."

Blaine blinked a few times, then rubbed his eyes. The text didn't disappear. He pinched himself, just to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep. The text was still there.

"Name the time and place, and I'm there," he typed back.

"Wow. An open acceptance without any restrictions. Aren't you supposed to play it cool? Act like you'll have to check your schedule or something? Pretend you have plans that might conflict?"

Blaine shrugged, then remembered Kurt couldn't see him. "I'm not really one for playing games."

Kurt replied with a smiling face. "What are you up to today?" he asked.

"Aren't you supposed to play it cool? Act like you'll have to check your schedule or something? Pretend you have plans that might conflict?" Blaine copied.

"I'm not really one for playing games either. If we both want to see each other, why waste our time? Plus, I've already humiliated myself completely in front of you, multiple times, and you keep coming back for more, so I figure I'm pretty safe regardless of what I do," Kurt replied. "So… today's schedule, Mr. Anderson?"

"Completely open. What did you have in mind?"

"I know it's totally cheesy, but given your choice of song last night (well, this morning – thank you for that, by the way), I'm guessing cheesy's okay. How would you feel about a picnic in Central Park? It's been on my NYC to-do list since I moved here, and I've never actually gotten around to it. But the weather's beautiful and the city's quieter than usual because everyone's out of town for the holiday, so it seems like the perfect day."

"Sounds perfect to me. What time?"

"How's 3? That'll give me time to pull together a menu."

"I can help with food."

"Unless you are also someone who enjoys gourmet cooking as a hobby, no, you can't."

"I don't. But there must be something I can bring."

"Got a blanket?"

Blaine thought about it. There must be something somewhere in the apartment. "I'll find something."

"Want to meet at 84th and 5th? We can walk in and find a spot on the Great Lawn."

"Sounds perfect."

Kurt sent a smiley face back, and Blaine couldn't help but smile back. He knew he looked ridiculous, sitting in his empty apartment smiling at his phone, but he was too excited to care. For a day that had had such inauspicious beginnings, it was certainly turning out very nicely.


	27. Chapter 27

Kurt sent a smiley face to Blaine, then put down the phone and bounced in his chair, letting out a small little squeal of excitement. Then he looked over at the clock. It was 12:20, and to make sure he got to the park on time, he would have to leave at 2:30. Which meant he had about 2 hours to pull both himself and a fabulous picnic together. Too bad he hadn't known about this picnic before he went to the store this morning, so he could have picked up what he needed then. It would be cutting it pretty close to try to shower, pick out an outfit, get ready, go to the store, and assemble the ingredients by 2:30.

"Rachel!" he shouted, dashing out of his bedroom and knocking rapidly on her door. At the last second, he remembered her hangover and felt a little guilty, but then he figured she kind of owed him after last night. "Rachel, I need help!"

He heard her shuffling to the door, and finally it cracked open. Rachel looked miserable. She was in baggy sweats, with her hair tangled around her face in complete disarray. "What?" she croaked as she flopped back on her bed.

Kurt flounced into her room and perched on the end of the bed. "I need your help. I have a date…"

Rachel sat up quickly, suddenly looking significantly less miserable. "You have a date?" she repeated excitedly. "With whom?"

"Blaine. No thanks to you, by the way," he added.

Rachel ignored his barb and clapped her hands. "You have a date with Nightbirdsong!"

"You need to stop calling him that."

"Oh my gosh, Kurt, this is amazing!" Rachel gushed. "You two are  _so_ cute together, and his voice perfectly complements yours without overpowering you."

"Obviously the most important thing in a potential relationship," Kurt quipped, but Rachel nodded sincerely.

"So how can I help?" Rachel asked.

"I'm supposed to meet him at 3 for a picnic in Central Park…"

"A picnic in Central Park? That's _so_  romantic," Rachel interrupted.

"…which doesn't give me much time to get ready and make a delicious meal. I was hoping if I gave you a short list of ingredients, you could run to the store and get them while I shower and do my hair?"

Rachel was already climbing out of bed. "Absolutely. Let me just put on some real clothes and find my sunglasses…" She started muttering to herself as she opened drawers and pulled out clothing.

"I'll leave the list on the counter," Kurt told her as he left. In the kitchen, he grabbed a notepad and a pen and started writing things down as he went through recipes in his mind. He wanted to keep it fairly simple and stick to relatively traditional picnic elements, but simple didn't have to mean boring.

He had just about settled on a menu when he realized there was an important question he hadn't asked. "Do you have any dietary restrictions I should know about?" he texted quickly to Blaine.

Thankfully, the reply was immediate. "Nope. I'm easy," followed by a winking face.

Kurt grinned. "Well, that's a loaded answer, and unfortunately one I really don't have the time to do justice to," he typed back.

Blaine replied with another winking face, and Kurt grinned. In just two and a half hours, this adorable man would be sitting with him on a picnic blanket in Central Park. Kurt's mind wandered into a lovely daydream of romantic picnics and Blaine's gorgeous, uninhibited smile. He was just letting his mind drift to other talents Blaine's mouth might have when he caught a glimpse of the time. "Eek!" he shrieked. There wasn't time for daydreaming! He grabbed his wallet, left a few bills to cover the ingredients with the grocery list on the counter for Rachel, and ran to his bedroom to grab his robe.

After what might have been the quickest shower of his life, Kurt toweled off and headed for his closet. He selected and then discarded 5 outfits before finally settling on two options, which he laid carefully on his bed for later deliberation. He ran through his skincare routine as quickly as possible. As he sat down to do his hair, he heard the door open.

"I'm back!" Rachel shouted.

"Come help me make an outfit decision!" Kurt called back.

Rachel appeared in the doorway. "Ooo, that's cute," she cooed, pointing to one of the ensembles Kurt had assembled.

Kurt glanced at her in the mirror. "I'm not really going for 'cute,' Rachel. Cute is old ladies pinching babies' cheeks because they apparently think that's a way of expressing affection. I want an understated hot and sexy. Something that says 'I want you thinking about last night's kiss and how anxious you are for more.'"

"You kissed?!" Rachel shrieked. "And you didn't tell me?"

Kurt focused back on his reflection, concentrating on getting his hair to the perfect height. "In case you didn't notice, you were a little busy ruining everything, so I didn't really get a chance."

Rachel made a dismissive "pff" noise. "Clearly I didn't ruin everything, since you're about to go on a date with the man." She bit her lip as she considered the outfits. "This one," she finally said, pointing to other outfit, a printed Vivienne Westwood button-down shirt over tight blue pants and a pair of Marc Jacobs slide-on sneakers.

Kurt's lips were tightly sealed while he applied hairspray, so it took him a few seconds to reply. "I was leaning toward that one too," he said. He spun around and looked at Rachel. "How do I look so far?"

Rachel surveyed his hair, then smiled. "Perfect. Absolutely perfect."

Kurt smiled back. "Thanks. Now get out of my room so I can get dressed. I'm on a tight schedule."

"Let me know if I can help with anything else," Rachel said over her shoulder as she shut the door behind her.

Kurt dressed quickly, then slipped on an apron to protect his outfit while he prepared steak sandwiches, deviled eggs, pasta salad, slaw, and fruit salad. At some point, he yelled for Rachel and had her chopping things for him to expedite the process, but even so, it was quarter to 3 when Kurt finished.

"I'll clean up. You just go," Rachel assured him while he frantically packed everything into the beautiful picnic basket he'd gotten for a bargain at an estate sale years ago, but had never had the opportunity to use.

"Thank you!" Kurt called as he headed as quickly as possible for the door.

"Kurt, wait! Your apron!"

Without breaking his stride, Kurt shifted the picnic basket to his left hand, used his right to untie the knot, and yanked it over his head. Already halfway out the door, he tossed it back into the apartment. "Sorry!" he yelled.

Rachel ran to the door of the apartment and waved as he ran down the stairs. "Don't worry about it! Have fun!"

Kurt fluttered his hand above his head in acknowledgement, though he realized she shouldn't see him now that he was a flight away. He reached the street and walked as quickly as possible over a few blocks to hail a cab. After he piled into the backseat and told the driver the destination, he pulled out his phone. "I'm not standing you up. I'm just running late. I promise I'll be there really soon."

Blaine's reply came quickly. "I've waited a long time for this date. I think I can handle a few extra minutes."

"A long time? It hasn't even been 24 hours since I saw you last," Kurt texted back.

"Exactly. A long time," Blaine replied with a wink.

Kurt grinned. This was going to be a really awesome date. He could feel it.


	28. Chapter 28

From the minute he had received the text asking him on a date, Blaine had felt like he was floating. When they had finalized their plans for the day, Blaine had danced his way down the hall to the shower. He had sung "It's Not Unusual" while bopping around his room picking out clothes. He had run through a whole medley of Top 40 hits while hunting for an adequate picnic blanket. He'd continued humming when he left his apartment. Thanks to his parents' financial support, Blaine's apartment was within walking distance of Central Park. A bit of a long walk, but on a beautiful day like this, Blaine didn't mind.

Blaine knew he was attracting some weird looks because of the way he was practically skipping down the street, but he couldn't help it. He was on his way to see Kurt.  _Kurt._ If these people knew Kurt, they'd understand. They'd probably be clapping for him and cheering him on with excitement.

On his way, Blaine stopped in a Target, since the hunt for a picnic blanket had been unsuccessful. He sauntered to the outdoor section, where he found a nice blue blanket.  _Just like Kurt's eyes_ , he thought to himself. When another couple came around the end of the aisle and stopped abruptly with a concerned look, Blaine realized he was dreamily smiling at and caressing a blanket. He gave them an apologetic half-smile, grabbed the blanket, and started for the exit.

He was almost to the cash registers when something in the toy section caught his eye. Making an abrupt turn, he looked at the endcap display promoting the latest superhero film. In addition to action figures and storybooks, there was a coloring book. Blaine flipped through it and saw it included a variety of characters. With a smile, he picked it up, then headed into the section to find a large box of crayons. After checkout, he dropped them in the canvas bag he'd brought and headed for the park.

Blaine got to the designated meeting spot 15 minutes early, so he picked a spot in the shade to lean against the fence on the corner. Though he knew Kurt wasn't due for another 15 minutes, he couldn't help scanning constantly for any sign of him. He watched every taxi as it approached, wondering if it would stop and Kurt would emerge.

At 2:53, Blaine's phone vibrated in his pocket. He panicked when he saw a message from Kurt, convinced it would say that Kurt had changed his mind and wasn't coming and could he please delete the contact because Kurt never wanted to speak to him again. Blaine told himself he was being ridiculous and opened the message. "I'm not standing you up. I'm just running late. I promise I'll be there really soon."

Blaine sighed in relief. He was still coming. He was on his way. He would be here soon. Blaine typed back the truth. "I've waited a long time for this date. I think I can handle a few extra minutes."

When Kurt replied that it hadn't even been 24 hours, Blaine teasingly replied that that was a long time. He'd wait until Kurt arrived to tell him the truth: Blaine had been looking forward to this date for much longer than 24 hours.

Around 3:15, a cab pulled up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and this time, Kurt did emerge. Blaine watched him gracefully get out, picnic basket in hand. He looked like a fashion model, and Blaine swooned. While Kurt skimmed the relatively light crowds looking for him, Blaine hurried across the street. When Kurt spotted him and smiled, Blaine's heart leapt out of his chest.

He greeted Kurt with a quick kiss on the cheek and couldn't help but grin when the inevitable blush appeared. Kurt shyly smiled, then said, "Shall we?"

"We shall," Blaine replied with a grin. They made their way down the street to a path leading into the park.

"So the way I see it, we have three major options," Kurt said as they walked. "We can go for something really secluded, like hauling up to the north end of the park to Great Hill; we can go for something semi-private, like by Turtle Pond and Belvedere Castle or down in Strawberry Fields; or…" Kurt's face lit up "…we can people-watch on the Great Lawn."

Blaine laughed. "Gee, I wonder which one of those is your preference."

Kurt's lips twitched. "Don't let my opinion sway you. I mean, I  _did_  make us a lovely meal, and this date was  _my_ idea, but you shouldn't let any of those influence your opinion."

Blaine tilted his head in consideration. "Hm… You know, people-watching on the Great Lawn sounds wonderful."

Kurt smiled. "I knew you'd make the right choice."

Their shoulders occasionally brushed as they made their way to the Great Lawn. Blaine let Kurt take the lead. Kurt kept walking until he reached a shady spot near a few trees at the edge of the big, open grassy area. "How's this?" Kurt asked.

"Do I really get a choice?" Blaine teased.

"Not really," Kurt admitted. "Did you bring a blanket?"

Blaine shifted and pulled the blanket out of his canvas bag. He shook it open and laid it on the ground with a flourish. "After you," he said, extending his hand in welcome.

Kurt placed the picnic basket at the edge of the blanket before sitting. Blaine joined him and watched as Kurt pulled out a series of containers. Blaine couldn't tell what was in them, but he was impressed by the number. "You pulled all this together that quickly?"

"What can I say? I'm kind of magical."

"Well, I already knew that," Blaine replied, and he was rewarded with that familiar and endearing pink tinge in Kurt's cheeks.

Kurt passed Blaine a plastic bottle and two plastic cups. "Can you pour the iced tea while I open everything up?"

Blaine agreed and took the cups. He filled them both and set them near the edge of the blanket, so that if they spilled, it would hopefully land on the grass and not the blanket. Kurt efficiently opened the containers, and Blaine's mouth watered.

"You weren't kidding about that gourmet cooking hobby," Blaine observed.

"Just wait until you taste it," Kurt bragged. He handed Blaine a paper plate and kept one for himself, then placed a sandwich on each one. They took turns filling their plates with a little bit of everything else. Kurt reached back into the basket and pulled out napkins and utensils, and they started eating.

From the first bite, Blaine was hooked. He had no idea what exactly he was eating – he could figure out some of the basic ingredients, but most of it was a mystery – but he knew he had never tasted anything better. He mentioned as much to Kurt, who just gave him a smug smile.

While they ate, they invented elaborate backstories for people walking by. Kurt's tended to be more melodramatic, with cheating spouses and long-lost twins and secret plots, while Blaine favored science fiction plots, like alien abductions and evil clones and life-like robots. The longer they played, the more outlandish the stories became, and soon they were both laughing hysterically.

Though Blaine was pleasantly full, Kurt insisted they try to finish everything up because it wouldn't hold up well in the heat. Blaine took that as a positive sign that Kurt wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon, so eating a little more seemed a small sacrifice to make for more time with Kurt.

After they'd eaten everything and cleaned up, Blaine reached into his canvas bag. "I got you a present."

Kurt's eyes widened in excitement. "A present?"

Blaine nodded and pulled out the coloring book and crayons. "So you can give them the makeovers they so desperately need."

Kurt smiled and reached for the supplies. "When I'm done with them, you will be sorry you ever doubted superheroes in pastels." He flipped through the book, then went back to the first double spread. He shifted so he was lying on his stomach, with the crayons and book in front of him. Kurt pushed the book toward the center of the blanket. "You can color this page," he offered, gesturing to the page closer to Blaine.

"I get to do one? Are you going to tell me what to do?"

Kurt shrugged. "I already know you're a lost cause when it comes to having fashion taste, so I'm not going to waste my time and my talent trying to fix you."

Blaine scoffed. "On behalf of my bow tie, I would like to express outrage at your continued hatred toward it."

Kurt rolled his eyes as Blaine moved to lie on his stomach too. "My superhero is going to be better than your superhero," Blaine taunted.

"As if," Kurt said, carefully selecting an assortment of crayons from the box.

They worked in silence, but Blaine kept stealing glances at Kurt. He looked so cute, completely focused on his task, biting his lower lip in concentration. Blaine finished his picture of Batman pretty quickly, so he started adding embellishments to the background. He drew in the Batmobile and was just about to attempt a sketch of Robin when Kurt finally set down his crayons. "Done," he announced.

Blaine looked over at the picture of Superman, done in shades of purple. "You know, it actually does look kind of nice," he admitted.

Kurt smiled in triumph. "Told you." Then he sat up and rotated his shoulders. "I am getting too old for lying on the ground for extended periods of time."

"And how old is that?"

"Fishing, Mr. Anderson? Not very subtle." He rolled his head in a circle as if working out a cramp in his neck. "I'm 27."

"Oh, yes, you are ancient then."

Kurt narrowed his eyes at Blaine. "Why, how old are you?"

"26."

"Right, because that's so much younger," Kurt replied sarcastically.

Blaine smiled and rolled onto his back to lean on his elbows. "You don't see me groaning and complaining about aches and pains."

Kurt glared at him. "Fine. You can stay here and enjoy the hard ground while I go for a walk."

"I want to come for a walk!" Blaine protested, pouting exaggeratedly.

Kurt's face remained impassive. "I don't know. You called me ancient."

Blaine gave Kurt his most charming smile. "Pleeeeeease?" he begged.

Kurt gave him a long look, and Blaine could tell Kurt was struggling to keep a straight face. Despite Kurt's best efforts, his eyes were twinkling with amusement and his lips had turned upward slightly at the corners. "Okay, fine," Kurt conceded, his smile breaking free and flashing across his face. Then he muttered something that sounded like, "You are a puppy," under his breath while he straightened and moved off the blanket.

Blaine scrambled off the blanket and started hastily folding it up to put it back in the canvas bag. Kurt held out the coloring book and crayons, and Blaine slipped them back into his bag, since there was no room in the picnic basket.

"Do you want me to carry that?" Blaine offered, gesturing toward the basket.

"No, that's alright," Kurt replied. "It's very light now that all the containers are empty."

"If you change your mind, let me know."

"Still trying to redeem yourself after the ancient remark? Because it's going to take more than that."

Blaine sighed dramatically. "I was afraid of that."

They made their way to the path and started walking south toward Turtle Pond. Blaine let his hand brush against Kurt's, and when Kurt didn't pull away, he laced their fingers together. He glanced over at Kurt to gauge his reaction and was pleased to see that familiar pink flush and a small, satisfied smile on Kurt's face.

"So do you come here often?" Blaine asked.

Kurt gave him a sardonic look. "Really, Blaine? Really? Cheesy pick-up lines?"

"No! No, that's not what I meant. I was going somewhere with that."

Kurt raised his eyebrows. "If you think that line would have gotten anyone to go anywhere… I have to wonder what kind of men you've been dating."

"No! That's not what I meant either." Blaine scrubbed his free hand over his face. "I was going to ask if you came here a lot, because I do, and it does seem rather empty today."

"Mhm," Kurt said, not sounding convinced at all. "Nice try."

"Alright then. Your turn, Mr. Conversational Wizard. Let's see what you've got," Blaine challenged.

"Don't you just love long weekends?" Kurt said with a contented sigh. "Especially in the summer. Three whole days to just relax, no deadlines to worry about, no alarm clocks…"

"Speak for yourself," Blaine replied. "Some of us will be working tomorrow."

Kurt gasped. "What kind of evil, unpatriotic supervillain do you work for? The Red Skull?"

Blaine glanced over at him with a slightly suspicious look. "I thought you didn't do comic books," he said questioningly.

"I don't. But I do Chris Evans movies." When Blaine chuckled, Kurt continued, "I mean, have you  _seen_ his abs?"

Blaine hummed appreciatively in agreement.

"So what is it you do that you have to work on the 4th of July?" Kurt asked.

"I'm a lab technician for a cancer biologist," Blaine replied. "And I don't really have to work tomorrow, at least not for long. I'm responsible for keeping our cell cultures going, and the media should be changed tomorrow…" Kurt's eyes seemed to have glazed over, so Blaine laughed. "I have to feed some cells. Think of it like a pet. I can't leave them unattended for too long or they'll all die."

"Are they cute and fuzzy?"

Blaine shook his head.

"Can you dress them in adorable handmade outfits and take photos?"

Blaine shook his head.

Kurt seemed disappointed. "They sound like horrible pets."

Blaine laughed. "Yes, but they might hold the key to curing cancer, or at least coming up with new treatments, so I think I'll keep them."

Kurt grinned as they turned up the stairs toward Belvedere Castle. Then he gave Blaine an assessing look. "I have to admit, I didn't see you as a lab technician."

"Well, I won't be one forever. I plan on going to medical school."

That information didn't change Kurt's slightly perplexed expression. "I didn't really picture you as a doctor either. With the way you sing and perform…" He trailed off and shrugged. "I just wouldn't have expected 'becoming a doctor' to be your big dream."

"It wasn't initially," Blaine confessed. "I was planning on doing a double major in music theatre and music composition at NYU when I first came to New York, but…" Blaine stopped speaking, trying to decide how much to reveal. He felt really comfortable with Kurt, and he already knew a lot of Kurt's secrets so he felt he could trust him, but this was still a first date.

"But?" Kurt prompted gently.

Ultimately, Blaine decided to do what he'd always done when it came to Kurt: leave it up to Kurt. "If I tell you, it will probably change your opinion of me. Probably not positively. Are you sure you want to hear it?"

Kurt gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "You already know a lot of really unflattering things about me, and you haven't run. The least I can do is return the favor."

Blaine's lips quirked in a tiny smile. Then he took a deep breath before beginning. He told Kurt all about being a rock star at his small private school in Ohio (which prompted a brief interruption in which Kurt excitedly exclaimed that he, too, was from Ohio, and they compared Ohio stories), and his growing insecurity upon realizing being one of the best in Ohio did not make him one of the best at NYU, and his development of crippling stage fright, culminating in the decision to focus on a new dream: becoming a doctor.

Kurt listened patiently, holding his hand tightly and supportively as they continued past Belvedere Castle and entered the tree-lined paths of the Ramble. When Blaine finished, Kurt gave him an indecipherable look.

"What?" Blaine asked.

"I'm trying to decide if I want to say what I'm thinking or not."

"Isn't it a little late in our relationship for a filter?" Blaine teased.

"This is only our first date!"

"And yet I know you have habits of drunkenly begging strangers for duets, having public sex with British men in karaoke bar restrooms, and obsessing over random strangers on Youtube."

Kurt flushed again. "I do not make  _habits_  of any of those things!"

Blaine bumped their shoulders together playfully. "That's not what I've heard."

"All those things have only happened once, okay? And the restroom one didn't even happen. Not really."

Blaine lifted his eyebrow in question. "Not really?" he repeated, intrigued.

"Remember we were talking about you?" Kurt asked. "Let's get back to that."

Blaine flashed a quick smile, then sobered. "Kurt, I want us to be honest with each other. Just… say what you want to say."

"It just… kind of seems like you ran away."

"Coming from the expert on that?" Blaine shot back, then immediately regretted it when Kurt's hand started to pull away. "Wait, no, sorry. That was out of line. Sometimes I lash out when I'm uncomfortable."

Kurt's hand settled back into position. "No, you're right. I do have a tendency to run away. And I tend to do that when I get uncomfortable, as you've probably noticed. Which is why I recognize it so well when I see it. You got scared, and you ran."

"Kurt, I physically couldn't perform. Until that night at Warblers, I hadn't been on a stage in 8 years."

"I know," Kurt said gently. "I'm not saying it would be easy, but you could work on it. You've performed a couple times now, and you're fantastic, Blaine. It would just be a shame to walk away from that just because of some justifiable but unfounded insecurities 8 years ago."

"Maybe I was meant to walk away from all that. I mean, I have always loved medicine. George Clooney as Dr. Ross on  _ER_ was my first crush, and my favorite board game as a kid was always Operation."

Kurt gave him a skeptical look, but before Blaine could question it, Kurt cut him off. "I'm not saying you won't be a great doctor. I'm sure you would be. You're charming and funny and sweet…" Blaine broke into a huge grin at all the compliments "…but I just wonder if maybe you have convinced yourself that this is what you want just because it's easier than going after what you actually want. I get that it's scary, but you can't shy away from your greatness just because you're afraid you're not great enough. And you are great, Blaine."

Blaine smiled softly, a little overwhelmed by the depth of the conversation and a little unnerved by how well Kurt seemed to know him already. Blaine wasn't quite sure what to say, so he just squeezed Kurt's hand and hoped it conveyed gratitude at Kurt's frankness. Blaine would definitely have to think more about what Kurt said, but for now he was just glad Kurt had felt comfortable enough to say it.

Now that there was a pause in their conversation, Kurt finally seemed to notice where they were. He eyed the thick trees growing around them a little distastefully. "I think my most terrifying New York City-related nightmare is getting lost in this place and having to survive on a diet of tree bark, leaves, and mysterious fungi."

"There's always the squirrels," Blaine suggested helpfully. "You could capture them for protein."

"Blaine, do I look like someone who would capture squirrels and willingly consume their meat?"

"You are a gourmet chef. I'm sure you could do something creative."

Kurt scoffed. "Trust me, there is no gourmet cooking recipe that calls for squirrel meat, and no amount of creativity will ever change that."

They reached a fork in the paths, and Kurt looked at their options warily. "This is how it starts. You pick a path, and then another, and then another, and suddenly you find yourself back somewhere very similar to where you started with absolutely no clue how to get out, and you end up trapped in Central Park forever until someone finds your decaying body among the trees and they turn you into a  _Bones_ episode."

Blaine laughed. "Don't worry, baby. Stick with me and we'll be out of here in no time," he asserted as he confidently led them down the left fork.


	29. Chapter 29

Kurt didn't want to get too optimistic, considering the date wasn't over, so there was still time for a catastrophe, but if all continued smoothly, this would easily be the best date he'd ever been on. It wasn't even the setting, although the idyllic summer day and picnic in Central Park were definitely positives. But it was Blaine. He was… Kurt ran through a list of adjectives in his head, and none of them seemed  _enough_ to describe Blaine. They weren't strong enough or vibrant enough or deep enough. Blaine was all of them at the same time, and more.

Kurt also wondered why he was so comfortable around Blaine already, and why he wasn't more nervous about how comfortable he was around Blaine. Kurt had known Blaine… actually known Blaine, which only really came after a real conversation… for about 24 hours now, yet here he was, already offering advice and commentary on Blaine's life and goals. Kurt had been with Chandler for months and never reached that point. Kurt wasn't sure he and Chandler had ever even discussed their life goals or dreams. With Adam, it had taken a long time before Kurt had felt like they could have such deep conversations, and usually they'd ended with one person storming away in anger after someone took something the wrong way. But here Kurt and Blaine were, seconds after Kurt calling Blaine out for being too scared to be great, and Blaine was playfully teasing him about eating squirrel meat and drawling pet names as he promised to get them out of the Ramble.

And they were holding hands! And they'd already kissed! Many in Kurt's circle, including Adam, had referred to him as slightly frigid. Kurt preferred to refer to it as being selective about whom he showed physical affection. Yet here he was, publicly holding hands with Blaine on their first date, after publicly kissing him yesterday after their first real conversation. It should terrify Kurt, but he was just so _comfortable_ with Blaine that it was hard to be scared of anything _._

Well, except maybe getting lost in the Ramble. Although Blaine had promised to get them out, Kurt wasn't so sure it could be done. Kurt was pretty sure the Ramble had been designed to be completely impossible to escape and was meant to serve as a torture device. Kurt was initially impressed that Blaine wasn't even hesitating whenever the path split, confidently choosing a direction, until they passed a bench that looked familiar. "Blaine? Are you sure you know where you're going? Because I'm pretty sure we've already walked past that bench."

Blaine turned to glance at it over his shoulder. "There are a lot of benches that look the same. Maybe it's a different one."

"With the exact same pigeon poop spot right in the middle of the seat?"

"There are a lot of pigeons, so it's statistically possible."

Kurt gave Blaine a penetrating glare. "Blaine, do you know where we're going?"

Blaine smiled sheepishly. "Okay, maybe not exactly, but I'm sure we'll find our way out." He started to walk again, but since Kurt wasn't moving and their hands were still connected, Blaine stopped abruptly. He turned and looked at Kurt questioningly.

"You said you knew the way out!" Kurt accused.

"No, technically I said I'd get us out. Which I will," Blaine quipped.

"After leading us in circles for hours?"

"It won't take hours," Blaine assured him.

Kurt raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"The Ramble's not that big. It's not going to take hours."

Kurt remained skeptical, but when Blaine pointed out the only options were to stay there or follow him, Kurt reluctantly began walking again.

A few minutes later, they wandered down another identically confusing path, as far as Kurt was concerned, and reached a welcome sight: the Lake. Which meant they were out of the Ramble.

Blaine smiled proudly. "Told you I'd get us out," he boasted with a cheeky grin.

Kurt shook his head and rolled his eyes, and Blaine laughed. "Next time I'm bringing breadcrumbs," Kurt promised.

"Does that make me Hansel or Gretel?" Blaine wondered aloud.

"Gretel. I think she's pretty useless at the beginning."

"Thanks," Blaine replied with a laugh. "But hey, isn't she the one who tricks the witch into the oven? Ultimately saving the day? Sounds pretty good to me."

"Hm. Maybe you're the witch," Kurt mused. "Luring innocent people to their deaths by convincing them to trust you when they shouldn't."

Blaine slapped his free hand over his heart. "That hurts, Kurt. That hurts."

"Yes, well, the truth hurts sometimes, Blaine."

Blaine looked like he was about to say something, but then his head turned sharply as something caught his eye. "Look, ducks!" he exclaimed, pointing toward three birds waddling across the grass. "Now I also wish we had some breadcrumbs." He dropped Kurt's hand and started walking across the grass toward them, humming the  _Ducktales_  theme song.

"Are you sure you're 26 and not just 6?" Kurt asked as he watched in amusement from the path.

"Of course I am. Poor deprived 6-year-olds these days don't know the  _Ducktales_ theme song." Blaine continued quietly following the ducks toward the lake. "Do you think they're boys?"

"Yes, based on my extensive study of duck anatomy, I can confidently state that they are boys," Kurt replied sarcastically.

Blaine shot Kurt an unamused look over his shoulder. "Kurt, this is very important. I need to know if I can call them Huey, Dewey, and Louie."

"Somehow I don't think they'll mind either way," Kurt replied.

Blaine followed the ducks to the edge of the water. Two of the ducks slid into the water immediately, but one duck seemed hesitant. "Hurry up, Louie! They're leaving you behind!" Blaine encouraged. When the duck slipped into the water and followed the other two, Blaine clapped in glee. Then Blaine darted back to the path and grabbed Kurt's hand again, pulling him toward the rocky outcropping further up the path where a few people were sitting and watching the lake. "C'mon. I don't want to lose sight of them!"

"Seriously. Are you sure you're not 6? Because I feel like your nanny right now."

"My nanny? Not my parent? That's very posh of you, Kurt Hummel," Blaine teased as he climbed up the rocks and sat down in a spot to watch the ducks.

Kurt settled next to Blaine, close enough that they were touching from shoulder to hip. Then he turned to Blaine in surprise. "Wait. How do you know my last name?"

Kurt felt Blaine tense. "Um… I have a confession to make," Blaine said.

"A confession? You're really taking this whole correcting the imbalance of the embarrassing secrets to heart, aren't you?" Kurt teased.

When Blaine didn't smile, Kurt grew worried. He tightened his grip on Blaine's hand and ran his thumb across Blaine's knuckles in a comforting motion. "Blaine, you can tell me anything." Kurt knew that wasn't typical first date conversation, but it was true. Somehow, this didn't feel like a first date. It felt like a continuation of… something. Kurt just couldn't put his finger on what.

Blaine turned his head to look directly into Kurt's eyes. After a moment, he turned back toward the pond and admitted, "That first duet wasn't my first time at Warblers."


	30. Chapter 30

Blaine risked a glance over at Kurt. His eyes were wide in shock, and he clearly didn't know what to say. Blaine decided to keep talking, to try to explain. "Sam brought me once in mid-April, and I saw you perform, so I heard your name when Mercedes introduced you that night."

Kurt finally spoke. "You were there? But… you didn't perform…"

"Remember? Crippling stage fright?" Blaine reminded him gently.

Kurt still seemed to be processing, but Blaine felt like he needed to tell Kurt everything, so he continued. "There's more. I… um… how do I put this?" Blaine paused for a second, searching for the right words. Kurt's expression hadn't changed. "Your performance was incredible and passionate and emotional and… You moved me, Kurt. I couldn't get you out of my head. So two weeks later, I went back. Mostly to try to convince myself you weren't as unbelievably amazing as I remembered so that I could stop thinking about you all the time. But you weren't there. So I went again the next week. And you were even more unbelievably amazing than I remembered, but then Sam stopped going, and I couldn't stop thinking about you, so finally I convinced my friend Wes to come with me, which is the night we sang the duet," Blaine concluded. He knew he had rushed through, but Kurt seemed to have caught enough of it to need to process, because his expression had grown more contemplative as he stared out at the lake.

"Wow," Kurt finally said, his tone flat and his expression neutral. Blaine's heart sank. This was it. Their perfect date was over. Kurt was leaving.

"I can't believe…" Kurt continued slowly, pausing to take a deep breath, and Blaine braced for what was coming next. It wasn't going to be good.

"…that I'm not the only creepy stalker in this relationship!" Kurt finished, playfully nudging Blaine.

Blaine felt every tense muscle in his body relax as he laughed in relief.

Kurt smiled. "You really thought I was going to freak out because you were obsessing over my voice while I was obsessing over yours?"

Blaine nodded slightly, and Kurt squeezed his hand in reassurance. Blaine took a minute to let his racing heart slow down and take a few deep breaths to relax. Then he looked over at Kurt again. "You know, it's actually a little unfair. I made it really easy for you to obsess over me. All you had to do was watch Youtube videos. I had to work for it."

"Get used to it, Blaine Anderson, because I am not easy," Kurt replied without a hint of shame.

Blaine grinned. "If it means I get to keep you in my life, I can get used to just about anything."

Kurt looked away on the pretense of watching a group of teenagers trying to race in paddleboats, but Blaine saw the pleased smile Kurt was trying to hide.

They stayed on the rocks for a long time, chatting about favorite music, TV shows, Kurt's job at Vogue and his dream of being a Broadway star, growing up in Ohio… it was easy and natural and effortless. Blaine hadn't felt this connected to anyone in a very long time. Their hands were still linked loosely between them, their shoulders brushing every time either of them shifted. Blaine could have contentedly stayed like this for a very long time, but as the sun began to set, they found themselves swatting away bugs more frequently.

"I should have thought of bug spray," Kurt muttered as he slapped a mosquito against his arm.

Blaine suppressed a smile, because he didn't want Kurt to think he was enjoying dealing with mosquitoes. Knowing that Kurt didn't want to go, though, even with the mosquitoes, made Blaine very happy. That knowledge also gave him the strength to say, "You know, we could leave. We don't have to stay."

Kurt's look of surprise was quickly chased by a hurt expression. "Oh, yes, I guess…" he started to say, shifting away as if he was going to stand.

Blaine quickly brought his other hand to cover their still-linked fingers, anchoring Kurt in place. "I'm not saying  _you_ should leave. I'm saying  _we_ should leave. As in go somewhere else. Together."

Kurt's face lit up as he relaxed back against Blaine. "Where would we go, though?" he asked. "Anywhere outdoors is going to have similar bug issues, and the only indoor places likely to be open now are restaurants, and I'm not that hungry, or movie theaters, and you can't really talk at movie theaters."

Blaine was emboldened by Kurt's obvious desire to keep this date going. "I only live about a 20 minutes' walk away. Or a 5 minute cab drive, if you're not feeling up for walking," Blaine suggested.

Kurt shifted to face Blaine more fully. "Why, Mr. Anderson, are you inviting me home with you?" he cooed flirtatiously, batting his eyelashes.

Blaine flushed slightly. "Yes, but it doesn't have to be like that. I just thought I'd offer it as an alternative, but we don't have to do anything. Well, I mean, obviously, we'd do something, but we don't have to  _do_ anything, you know?" Blaine knew he was babbling nervously, but he couldn't seem to stop himself.

Luckily, Kurt had a solution for that. He leaned forward and pressed his mouth against Blaine's, just a fleeting brush of lips, but it was enough to distract Blaine. "You are adorable," Kurt whispered as he pulled back. Then he let go of Blaine's hand to stand and brush off his pants. Blaine did the same. They clambered off the rocks and started back down the path. Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand again and started leading them toward the edge of the park.

"This isn't going to be like the Ramble again, is it?" Kurt teased.

Blaine let out an exasperated sigh. "I got us out of there, didn't I?"

"Barely," Kurt muttered, and Blaine just shook his head.

When Blaine led them to the west side of the park, Kurt gave him a surprised look. "You live on the Upper West Side?"

Blaine nodded. "Before you ask, my older brother somehow convinced my parents that instead of going to college, he was going to move to New York and become an actor, and that they should use his college fund for an apartment instead of tuition. My parents just held onto the place after he moved to LA, and when I came here for college, it seemed silly not to use it."

"What happened to your brother?" Kurt asked out of curiosity.

"Do you remember those Free Credit Rating Today commercials like ten years ago, with those over-the-top dance routines to that obnoxious jingle?"

Kurt's jaw dropped. "Cooper Anderson is your brother?!"

Blaine nodded glumly. Great. Once again, Blaine had found a way to destroy the date. One day, he would learn to stop bringing up his brother. This wouldn't be the first time a guy had spent the rest of the night fanboying over Blaine's brother, who was now a moderately successful soap opera star.

"Blaine, your brother has got to be the best-looking man in North America. Embarrassing fact number… whatever number we're on now, 3 million?… about Kurt Hummel: that jingle used to be my ringtone in high school."

Blaine desperately struggled to keep his head held high and his expression neutral. Just once, he'd like to be enough for someone, even after they found out about Cooper.

Seemingly oblivious to Blaine's inner turmoil, Kurt continued talking. "I can't believe Cooper Anderson's your brother. Wow. If I had known in high school that there was a younger, better version of Cooper, and in Ohio, no less… well, let's just say I probably would have started stalking you ten years ago."

Blaine's eyes shot to Kurt's. "What? You think I'm a younger, better version of Cooper?"

Kurt blushed a little. "Well, you are more talented and…" He stopped and looked away.

"And?" Blaine prompted.

"And more attractive," Kurt mumbled.

Blaine quickly scanned the street. Other than a man walking his dog further up the block and a group of giggling girls across the street, they were alone. Even so, Blaine pulled Kurt into the doorway of a bookstore with a "Closed for the Holiday Weekend!" sign on the door before gently cupping Kurt's face and tugging it down for a kiss. He made it a little more intense than their previous kisses, opening his mouth a little to let their lips slide against each other and pressing a little harder against Kurt's mouth. "Thank you," he whispered as he pulled back.

Kurt looked slightly stunned. "You're welcome, though I'm not sure what for."

"For preferring me to my brother," Blaine replied honestly as he stepped back and resumed their walk toward his place. "You don't know how often that is not the case."

"Well, I'm sorry your previous dates have all had such horrible taste, but you have sort of brought it on yourself. Bad taste attracts bad taste, Blaine, and if you insist on wearing firework bow ties…"

Blaine laughed, feeling so much lighter than he had minutes ago. "What does that say about your taste, then, Mr. Hummel?"

Kurt scowled, clearly searching for a witty retort as they crossed the street and continued on their way to Blaine's apartment.


	31. Chapter 31

While Blaine checked out at the grocery store they'd ducked into so Kurt could pick up a few supplies in case they got hungry later, Kurt sent a quick text to Rachel. "Going over to Blaine's for a while. Might be home late. Don't wait up."

Her reply was almost immediate. "OMG KURT! BE SAFE! I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU!" There were about a million exclamation points at the end, followed by an alternating series of winking and kissing faces.

Kurt groaned. If he hadn't been worried that Rachel would panic and call the cops to report him missing, he wouldn't have texted her at all. By tomorrow, everyone Kurt had ever met, plus half the people in Bushwick, would probably know he had gone to Blaine's house. Kurt didn't think anything was going to happen, other than hopefully some more of those addicting kisses, but now he'd probably never live this down. Santana was probably already devising some disgustingly crass new nickname for him at this very moment.

"Ready?" Blaine asked as he reappeared in front of Kurt. Kurt held out his hand, and Blaine laced their fingers together again and led them out of the store.

A few blocks later, they reached Blaine's apartment building. Kurt followed Blaine past the doorman, who nodded politely, and tried not to gape at his surroundings. Kurt had known Blaine had attended private school and had assumed Blaine's parents had a decent amount of wealth if they were able to purchase an apartment on the Upper West Side, but knowing this and being confronted with the understated class of Blaine's building were two different things. Despite his dreams of making it big on Broadway and becoming a world-renowned star and his experience working with Vogue, Kurt still hadn't grown accustomed to being in such elegant surroundings. Deep down, though he would never admit it, he often felt like an inadequate poser, a small-town mechanic's son from Lima, Ohio, just faking it in the big city until someone realized he didn't belong. To see Blaine's familiarities with such surroundings gave Kurt pause – what if their worlds were completely incompatible? What would Blaine think of Kurt's apartment, which relied heavily on refurbished finds from garage sales, hand-me-downs bought for a steal on eBay, and cheap IKEA furniture? Kurt tried to ignore his worries and insecurities as he followed Blaine across the lobby to the elevators.

After a short elevator ride, Blaine unlocked the door to his apartment and ushered Kurt inside. Kurt was relieved to see the apartment looked much more comfortable and lived-in than the lobby. Blaine's furnishings were obviously nicer than Kurt's, with no mysterious stains buried under throws or cleverly hidden scuff marks, but still simple.

Blaine slipped off his shoes just inside the door, and Kurt followed suit, then set the picnic basket next to them.

"I'm just going to put some of this away in the kitchen," Blaine said, gesturing to his canvas bag. Kurt padded through the main room after him and followed him into the kitchen.

While Blaine unloaded some of the groceries, Kurt smiled at Blaine's collection of magnets. There were whimsically silly faces, a few garishly bright souvenirs from tropical destinations, and a smattering of cartoon characters. "You have so many magnets, but nothing hanging on the fridge?" Kurt observed.

Blaine glanced over from where he was pulling two wine glasses out of a cabinet. "I figured it would be a little weird to hang my college assignments on the fridge, and I don't really know what else to put there." He set the wine glasses on the counter, then crossed the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of red and a bottle of white. "Interested?" he asked, holding them up.

Kurt nodded and pointed at the white, and Blaine turned to fish out a corkscrew. In the meantime, Kurt reached into the canvas bag and dug out the coloring book and crayons. He pulled out the black crayon, flipped to his page, and signed his name in the corner with a flourish. On Blaine's drawing, he did his best imitation of a kindergartener just learning to write their name, even making the E backwards. He carefully tore both pages out of the coloring book and slid them under magnets on the fridge.

Blaine held out a wine glass and raised an eyebrow when he saw how Kurt had signed his name. "Thanks for making me look inferior."

Kurt accepted the wine glass and took a sip. "I was trying to do you a favor. I didn't want you to be embarrassed by how pathetic your coloring job looked in comparison to mine, so I figured this way you could say it was a child's drawing."

Blaine's lips twitched in amusement. "And it won't look pathetic that I've apparently been holding onto something I supposedly colored 20 years ago?"

Kurt shrugged and sipped his wine. "Don't worry. I'll color you some more drawings so you can take it down and turn the fridge into a gallery of gorgeous superheroes as imagined by Kurt Hummel."

"How generous of you."

"I know," Kurt replied. Then he glanced around the kitchen. "So this is a very nice kitchen, and I will enjoy coming back here later to impress you with how quickly I can throw together a gourmet snack, but…" He trailed off and gave Blaine a significant look.

"Oh. Right. Do you want to see the rest of the place?"

"I would like that very much."

"Well then, follow me." Blaine stepped around Kurt toward the door of the kitchen. "Please keep all arms and legs inside the vehicle, and no flash photography," he added in a slightly robotic tone.

Kurt laughed as he exited the kitchen behind Blaine. They started in the main room, which held a comfortable-looking large couch separated from a TV by a coffee table, with a smaller loveseat against the wall next to a full bookshelf. On the opposite wall, a desk was set up next to a set of sliding doors. Blaine showed Kurt onto the balcony, where a set of lounge chairs and a small dining table sat. Then Blaine led him back down past the kitchen. The doorway on the left after the kitchen clearly led to a small but clean bathroom. Directly ahead of them was a door that obviously led to Blaine's bedroom. On the right, a closed doorway looked like it led to a closet, while another open doorway seemed to lead to what could be a second bedroom. Blaine led them through that door, and Kurt saw it was his music area. In one corner, a small desk held a laptop and camera, which Kurt assumed he used for filming his Youtube videos, as well as a few pages of what looked like attempts at songwriting. A bookshelf next to the desk seemed to hold an endless supply of sheet music. Kurt recognized both the keyboard and the guitar from Blaine's videos. A stool sat next to the guitar, while a microphone hovered over the keyboard, most likely from Blaine's recording last night, and wow, had that only been last night?

As Kurt surveyed the room, the keyboard triggered a memory. "Blaine, when did you say you first came to Warblers?"

"Mid-April?" Blaine replied. "I think it was… yeah, it was Tax Day, because I had been up late the night before helping my friend try to finish in time. So April 15. Why?"

Kurt didn't reply. He carefully set his wine glass on the desk, then reached for Blaine's and did the same. "Kurt?" Blaine asked, his tone concerned.

"Teenage Dream," Kurt whispered. "That was for me, wasn't it?"

Blaine nodded slowly. "Ye—"

Kurt didn't let him finish. He wrapped his arms around Blaine and pulled him close, slamming his lips against Blaine's in a hot, open-mouthed kiss. Despite the surprise, Blaine responded immediately, sliding his arms around Kurt's waist to tug their hips closer together. Their tongues collided in a passionate dance. Blaine's hands were frantically running up and down Kurt's back, while Kurt's fingers explored Blaine's hair.

"You need more furniture in here," Kurt gasped as Blaine planted a series of kisses along the smooth column of his neck.

"There's furniture in here," Blaine murmured into Kurt's ear, trailing kisses along Kurt's jaw. He nudged Kurt toward the desk. "We just have to be creative."

Kurt turned his head to catch Blaine's mouth again, his hands now trying to slip under the hem of Blaine's shirt to feel the warm skin. When he felt the seat of the desk chair hitting the back of his knees, he sank onto it… and promptly went rolling across the room to crash into the wall when Blaine leaned forward to keep kissing him. Across the room, Blaine stumbled at the sudden loss of Kurt's body, which had been his primary means of support, and only caught himself by grabbing onto the desk with one hand, which sent sheet music fluttering around the room.

"Was that a demonstration of your creative technique?" Kurt teased. "Because I have to admit, that's not something I've experienced before, so you definitely get points for originality."

Still bent over and leaning on the desk while he regained his balance, Blaine made a noise that was part groan, part laugh.

"I'm going to have to deduct points for execution, though," Kurt continued. "The dismount was a little rough."

Blaine straightened and made eye contact with Kurt. Immediately they broke out into uncontrollable laughter. Every time Kurt thought he was done laughing, he would look back over at Blaine, surrounded by a mess of papers and doubled over at the waist from laughing so hard, and start again. Blaine seemed to have the same problem every time he caught sight of Kurt in the rolling chair against the wall, so it took a while before they finally settled down.

Blaine was brushing tears out of his eyes when Kurt finally had enough strength to stand and roll the chair back to the desk. He picked up the wine glasses and handed Blaine's back to him. "Perhaps we should adjourn to furniture that isn't likely to move?" Kurt suggested.

Blaine smiled. "That sounds wise."

They ended up back on the couch in the main room, catching up on  _Project Runway_ episodes Blaine had recorded. Blaine had tugged Kurt into his arms almost as soon as they had sat down, and as they'd watched and consumed more wine, Kurt found himself melting more and more into Blaine until they'd ended up in their current position. Blaine was lying on his back, his head angled toward the TV, and Kurt was tucked between him and the back of the couch, his head resting comfortably on Blaine's chest. Outside, the sky had been gradually growing darker. Based on the fact that even the last traces of natural light had disappeared a little while ago, Kurt estimated it was close to ten, but he was too comfortable to shift and pull his phone out of his pocket.

When the episode they were on ended, Kurt was about to suggest that he throw together a snack using the ingredients Blaine had purchased. Then he noticed that Blaine's breathing had become deep and rhythmic. He lifted his head slowly, trying not to disturb Blaine too much, and confirmed his suspicions: Blaine had fallen asleep. Kurt carefully extricated himself from his position on the couch, quietly clicked off the TV, and tiptoed across the room to Blaine's desk. He grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, wrote a quick note, and left it on the coffee table right in Blaine's line of vision. Glancing around the room, he saw a blanket on the back of the loveseat by the bookshelf. He grabbed it and gently unfolded it to lay it over Blaine. After allowing himself a moment to watch Blaine sleep and marvel at the fact that this handsome and amazing man was interested in him, Kurt leaned down to press a soft kiss against Blaine's forehead before quietly letting himself out of the apartment.


	32. Chapter 32

Blaine woke up and couldn't immediately place his surroundings. The apartment was dark, but there was too much light streaming in from outside for it to be his bedroom. He always shut the curtains before bed. As he woke up more fully, he realized he was on his couch, curled up under a blanket. He peered at the clock on the TV: 2:03 AM. He wondered how long he'd been asleep. The last thing he remembered was watching the beginning of an episode of  _Project Runway_ with Kurt…

 _Kurt!_ He sat up quickly and frantically wondered what had happened to Kurt. Had he left angrily because Blaine had fallen asleep in the middle of their first date? Blaine was just pulling out his phone to see if he had any messages when a slip of paper on the coffee table caught his eye. He unfolded it quickly and smiled in relief when he saw Kurt's handwriting. "Best date ever," it said simply, followed by a little outline of a heart.

Blaine was going to pull out his phone and send a text, but then he worried that it might wake Kurt up. Making a mental note to send a text in the morning, he shuffled down the hall to his room and went back to sleep in his bed.

Just like the previous day, Blaine's internal clock woke him up around 8. Unlike the previous day, though, Blaine actually felt well-rested… and quite happy. Though it didn't really matter when he went into work, Blaine decided to go and get it over with so he could enjoy the rest of his day.

By the time he got ready and got to the lab, it was after 9. Deciding it was late enough in the morning to risk a text to Kurt without waking him, he snapped a picture of his fireworks bow tie (because he couldn't avoid a fireworks bow tie on the 4th of July!) and wrote, "Look what I'm wearing! Your favorite!" Then he left his phone on his desk while he went to get his work done.

When he finished taking care of the cells, he washed his hands and said hello to another labmate who had come in voluntarily to get things done because she liked when the lab was quiet. While they were talking, he heard his text message noise. Blaine immediately turned his head toward the sound, and Hannah laughed. "Someone's excited. Go ahead and check it. I should get to work anyway; I don't want to be here all day."

Blaine smiled at her in gratitude, then moved as quickly as he could without looking overly desperate back to his desk. Just as he had hoped, the reply was from Kurt. "I need your work address. I have to send condolence cards to your coworkers."

"Only one of them is here, and she complimented me on it. Said it was cute," he typed back before gathering his stuff and making his way toward the exit. He waved to Hannah, who smiled knowingly and gave him a wink as she said, "Enjoy your day!"

"Maybe I should call the health inspector or Poison Control instead. It sounds like there's been some sort of dangerous chemical leak in your lab that has affected everyone's fashion sense."

"What's the matter, can't accept that you might be wrong about this bow tie?" Blaine teased.

"Blaine, I work for Vogue. I am never wrong about fashion."

Blaine sent back a face sticking out its tongue, followed by a second message. "Sorry I fell asleep on you last night. Even though it was by far the best date ever, I didn't sleep much the night before."

"It was more under me than on me, and you're forgiven on one condition," Kurt replied.

"I'm not getting rid of the bow tie, Kurt, so get over it," Blaine sent back.

Kurt sent back a frown. Before Blaine could respond, another text appeared. "Fine. New condition. You have to go out with me again."

Blaine knew he was beaming and practically skipping down the sidewalk toward the subway, but he was too happy to care as he texted back. "Your terms are harsh, Mr. Hummel, but I accept the conditions."

Kurt's response was almost immediate, and they quickly compared schedules to find time for another date. After they'd agreed on a time later in the week, the texts switched back to flirtatious banter and witty conversation, interrupted only by Blaine's lack of service on the subway. By the time Blaine was getting ready to head over to Wes's place in Midtown Manhattan to watch the fireworks, Blaine had learned Kurt's usual coffee order (grande nonfat mocha), favorite Vogue cover (Marion Cotillard), opinion on various Broadway shows (he loved the classics, but he hated the dominant trend of turning children's movies and popular artists' discographies into Broadway shows), and dream of becoming a cat owner (stymied by his current apartment complex's no-pet policy). It still wasn't enough. Blaine wanted to know everything about Kurt.

Throughout the party at Wes's house, Blaine kept texting Kurt, and as the fireworks display started, he couldn't help but think that as spectacular as the show was, it wasn't nearly as magical as a few sparklers on an apartment balcony.


	33. Chapter 33

By the beginning of August, Kurt had already started to forget what his life was like before Blaine. They'd been on a few more dates (not as many as Kurt would have liked, due to scheduling conflicts), but between dates, they'd been talking constantly through texts, emails, and even the occasional phone call. It had gotten to the point where Blaine was now a part of Kurt's daily routine.

He always woke up to a picture from Blaine, which had started on the morning of July 5th, when Blaine had sent a picture of his bow tie for the day, a much classier purple paisley piece, with the caption, "See? I told you I have taste!" From then on, Blaine had sent a picture every morning. Some days it was a picture of something he was wearing, usually either his bow tie or his socks (Blaine seemed to have a thing for silly socks); some days it was cheerful message or a silly question (like "Do you think pigeons have regular hangout spots the way people have regular bars?") with a picture of something outside Blaine's window; some days it was something Blaine saw on his way to work… one day, it had even been a piece of gum Blaine had found on the subway that he swore was in the exact shape of Stephen Sondheim's profile (Kurt didn't see it and had asked that Blaine refrain from sending him pictures of something someone else had chewed and spit out first thing in the morning, since it was not the most appealing thing to wake up to).

During the day, Blaine continued to be part of his routine. For the last five minutes of his lunch break, Kurt always scoured the internet for the cutest cat gif he could find, after a heated debate on their second date over whether dogs or cats were cuter had started an ongoing gif war via email. When he left work for the day, Kurt would get an email back from Blaine with his best dog gif, and Kurt would open it with a smile as he walked to the subway.

At night, Kurt's nightly skin care regimen just before bed now ended with a text to Blaine as part of an ongoing joke to come up with the most ridiculous bedtime wish after Kurt's expression of "Sleep tight; don't let the bed bugs bite," at the end of a phone call two weeks after their first date had sparked a prolonged conversation on what a weird thing that was to wish someone. Kurt's favorite so far was Blaine's wish of, "Sleep well; don't let your unmatched socks attack you on a misguided quest for vengeance on behalf of their lost mates."

On some level, it scared Kurt how quickly Blaine had infiltrated his life. It had only been a month since their first date. They hadn't even had the official conversation about whether they were exclusive or boyfriends or whatever (and Kurt wondered if that was still something you did at 27, or if proclamations and silly giggling over officially declaring that you were boyfriends was too juvenile now). Yet even in this hazy vague early relationship phase that he and Blaine were currently in, Blaine was already an integral part of his life. Kurt wasn't sure he'd ever felt this connected to anyone, and it had only been a month.

While Kurt liked to believe in the concept of soul mates and true love and fairy tales, he found it hard to accept in reality. Life had taught him that things like that didn't really come true, especially not for Kurt Hummel. Happy endings didn't exist, at least not in Kurt's experience – just when you were starting to think everything was turning around, something went wrong. Rejection letters came, shows got cancelled, producers decided they were going in a different direction, health scares happened to people you loved, boyfriends fundamentally disagreed with your life goals… people died. With things going so well with Blaine, some part of Kurt assumed a catastrophe had to be just around the corner.

If a catastrophe was just around the corner, though, Kurt figured it was worth enjoying whatever he could get with Blaine for as long as it lasted. He actively shoved aside his doubts and his fears about the speed of their relationship and just focused on enjoying the fact that this amazing boy was in his life at all.

With that in mind, Kurt decided to do something special for their 6th date, which was scheduled for the first Friday evening in August. Even though it was a few days past their one-month anniversary (Kurt wondered if you got to count anniversaries if you weren't officially exclusive, but he was secretly counting it anyway), Blaine still hadn't been to Kurt's apartment yet. All their dates since the first one had felt a little more rushed, and they had mostly been meeting for meals and then going their separate ways due to other commitments and obligations. This weekend, though, Kurt's calendar was clear, and Blaine had said "anytime" when Kurt asked when they could get together, so Kurt assumed they could finally have another relaxed date with no real time constraints. He'd invited Blaine over to his place for dinner, but he was hoping Blaine would stay much longer than that.

Almost as soon as he'd invited Blaine, though, he'd started panicking about the state of their apartment. Kurt was pretty proud both of how hard he and Rachel had worked to be able to afford a place in NYC and of what he and Rachel had done with the place, given their limited budget, but it still was nothing like Blaine's place. Instead of a classy stone façade, there were faded brick walls that had seen better days. Instead of a classy, elegant lobby, there was a tiny foyer with peeling linoleum floors. Instead of a smooth ride in an elevator, there was a creaky walk up a slightly uneven and well-worn set of stairs.

To try to compensate, Kurt had cleaned the apartment in ways it had never been cleaned before. Rachel had initially been appreciative, but when she'd woken up at 2 AM on Thursday morning to find Kurt trying to polish the knob on her bedroom door, she'd finally forced him to stop by threatening to cancel her overnight plans for Friday and to instead invite Santana over to watch his date with Blaine and offer running commentary.

When Friday finally came, Kurt was a bundle of nervous and excited energy. For the first time since they'd started dating, Kurt woke up before Blaine's morning text arrived. He was the second person to the office and was cheerful and chipper at the morning staff meeting, causing Isabelle to ask if he'd finally cracked and started consuming caffeine intravenously while he slept. At 3:30, after Kurt had finished all his work ahead of schedule and rearranged his desk and the office supply cabinet, Isabelle finally called him into her office and told him to take off before he started rearranging office furniture. Then she smiled and winked and wished him a wonderful weekend, and not for the first time, Kurt was beyond appreciative for whatever quirk of fate had allowed him to get a job with such an incredible boss.

On his way home, he stopped and picked up ingredients for dinner, splurging at the last minute on supplies for cheesecake now that he had extra time. Between meal preparation steps, he changed his sheets and did one final check of his bedroom. Rachel breezed through briefly around 5 to change and grab overnight supplies, since she'd convinced a few of her work friends to have a girls' night in at one of their apartments. As she left, she kissed him on the cheek and advised him to "be safe!" Kurt's only reply was an eye roll and a sarcastic reminder that this wouldn't be his first time (if it happened, since Kurt hadn't exactly invited Blaine over to have sex, so he wasn't sure what Blaine's feelings were – maybe Blaine wasn't ready).

Kurt's phone vibrated at exactly 7, which didn't surprise him in the least. Blaine was always perfectly punctual, which meant so far he'd always been left waiting for Kurt, who always ran 5-10 minutes late. Kurt shot back a text letting Blaine know he was on his way down to let him in. Before he left, he bit his lower lip and surveyed the apartment one more time. He ran through a mental checklist, ticking off items. The small table that sat at the border between the kitchen and living room space was set with their most charming dinnerware; the lamb chops were marinating in the refrigerator; the side dishes were all prepared; the cheesecake was in the oven; a bottle of wine was open and breathing on the counter. After leaning over to straighten one of the throw pillows on the couch, Kurt dashed down the stairs.

Blaine was already inside the small foyer, patiently surveying his surroundings. When he saw Kurt, his face lit up in a huge smile, and Kurt beamed back. "Someone was heading out and let me in," Blaine explained, gesturing toward the door.

"I should probably warn my neighbors not to let in strange men lurking by the door. You never know when it might be my stalker," Kurt teased as he descended the last few stairs.

Blaine ducked his head and let out a short laugh. "I should probably give my doorman the same warning."

With a quick smile, Kurt stopped in front of Blaine and gave him a quick kiss in greeting. When Kurt pulled back, Blaine smiled and pulled his hand from behind his back. "These are for you," he said, presenting Kurt with a bright, colorful bouquet made up of a mix of lilies, gerbera daisies, and tulips.

Kurt leaned forward and kissed him again. "Thank you; they're beautiful." He took the bouquet with one hand and grabbed Blaine's hand with the other, leading him up the stairs to the apartment.

After opening the door to the apartment and pulling Blaine in after him, Kurt released Blaine's hand. "Welcome to my humble abode," he joked. "Make yourself at home while I put these in water." Kurt left Blaine standing by the doorway and walked over to the open kitchen area. He grabbed a vase and a pair of scissors to quickly cut off the bottom of the stems, then slid the bouquet into water and set it on the table. It was the perfect finishing touch to the place settings.

Blaine set a messenger bag on the floor by the door while Kurt headed back toward the counter. "Wine?" Kurt asked over his shoulder, reaching into a cabinet for some glasses.

"Yes, please," Blaine said from behind him.

Kurt poured them each a glass, then walked back to where Blaine was standing and handed him one. "The meat just needs to marinate for another 10 minutes or so, and then it should just take 10 minutes for me to grill it," Kurt said as he led the way to the couch. "Are you okay waiting?"

Blaine nodded and settled next to Kurt, close enough that their legs brushed. "Your place is great," he said, glancing around at the open living room/kitchen area.

"Well, it's not a gorgeous 2-bedroom on the Upper West Side, complete with a doorman…" Kurt began with a teasing smile.

Blaine shook his head. "No," he interrupted emphatically. "It's great. Seriously. It's cozy and welcoming and so…  _you_."

Kurt smiled a little more broadly. "I'm going to assume that is a compliment."

"It is absolutely a compliment," Blaine replied sincerely, his eyes locked intensely with Kurt's until Kurt felt his cheeks beginning to warm.

"Well, thank you," Kurt said. "Rachel and I are pretty happy with it."

Blaine straightened a little, looking slightly more alert. "I didn't even think to ask. Is Rachel here? I should say hello."

Kurt laced their fingers and tugged gently so Blaine would relax against him again. "No, she's gone for the night."

All Blaine said in reply was "Oh," but his voice was little deeper and huskier. His fingers tightened almost imperceptibly against Kurt's, and he slanted a glance in Kurt's direction as he took a sip of his wine. The combination charged the atmosphere with a new sexual tension. Kurt was suddenly hyperaware of the way Blaine's thigh pressed against his, the pull of the muscles in Blaine's throat and the shift of his Adam's apple as he swallowed, the feel of Blaine's fingers tucked between his own… those skillful, deft fingers Kurt had watched move over a guitar or a keyboard so many times…

Kurt cleared his throat and stood. "I'm… I'm going to go start pulling things together in the kitchen." He moved quickly toward the kitchen before Blaine could see the way his blush was deepening or his pants were tightening.

"Can I help with anything?" Blaine called from the couch.

"No, no, it's all under control. Just… um… make yourself comfortable," Kurt replied, and then he wanted to smack himself for his poor word choice as he immediately began picturing the ways Blaine could make himself comfortable, like peeling off those tight pants…

Kurt yanked open the fridge and hoped the cool air would help cool his thoughts... and certain parts of his anatomy... enough to get him through dinner without embarrassing himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter also comes with a thank you, this time to Chrisch on FF, who suggested that Blaine assure Kurt that Kurt's place is great after I wrote the chapter about Kurt's insecurities upon seeing Blaine's apartment.


	34. Chapter 34

Blaine watched over the back of the couch as Kurt bustled around the kitchen, preparing a meal that smelled absolutely incredible. Though Kurt seemed to be doing five things at once, his movements were efficient and graceful rather than chaotic and rushed. Since his back was to Blaine, Blaine didn't bother hiding the way he was openly staring in admiration. Blaine had been attracted to Kurt from the first time he saw Kurt. Knowing he might finally have a chance to act on it was a heady feeling.

When Kurt had invited Blaine over to his place, Blaine had hoped there might be a chance of their physical relationship progressing, but he hadn't wanted to bring it up with Kurt directly. He hadn't wanted Kurt to think he was trying to pressure Kurt into anything Kurt wasn't ready for. Knowing that Kurt's roommate was gone for the night, though, suggested to Blaine that he and Kurt were on the same wavelength.

Kurt bent down to grab something from the fridge. His already tight pants stretched across the curve of his ass, and Blaine had to bite down on his lower lip to keep from moaning. He finally turned away and mindlessly grabbed for one of the magazines stacked on the coffee table, desperate for a distraction. Blaine had to cool down. He wanted everything to be perfect later, and it would help if he could last longer than 5 seconds. Which would be impossible if he spent all of dinner a breath away from coming.

He idly flipped through the issue of  _People_ he'd picked up and settled on an article about a former child actor from a classic sitcom. It wasn't a particularly exciting article, but Blaine focused on it like it contained the secrets to the universe. He wanted to wipe his brain of all sexual thoughts, at least until after dinner.

Blaine was so engrossed in the article, he almost didn't hear Kurt announcing that dinner was ready. It had worked, though: Blaine's thoughts were completely PG-rated, and his erection was under control… until he turned around to see Kurt bent over, sliding the cheesecake out of the oven. "I'm just going to let this cool while we eat, and then I'll slide it in the fridge to chill until later," Kurt explained, and Blaine just nodded mutely because he was afraid of what noises might come out of his mouth if he opened it at that moment.

Blaine took another gulp of wine before making his way over to the table. Kurt carried over a platter of lamb chops covered in a bunch of chopped up things. "It's pomegranate relish," Kurt said as he placed one on each of their plates, noticing Blaine's questioning look. He made another trip to the counter to bring over a bowl of rice and a plate of roasted asparagus and set them in the open spaces on the table.

As Kurt sat down, Blaine resolutely focused his eyes on the rice he was dishing out and not on the movement of Kurt's body on the other side of the table, so close he could almost touch it. He sipped his wine again as he attempted to regain control and managed to compose himself enough to say, "This looks delicious."

"I've made it a few times before. It  _is_  delicious," Kurt boasted cheekily.

Blaine tried to smile in return, but he was afraid it came out as a grimace because just at that moment, Kurt's foot brushed against his ankle as Kurt settled into the chair. Blaine concentrated on mentally cataloging his collection of bow ties to try to settle down.

Dinner was torture. The food was exquisite, which didn't surprise Blaine at all, but Blaine's entire body seemed hypersensitive to the smallest touch. Blaine had never noticed how many times they happened to touch in the course of a meal before. A light brush of Kurt's hand against his as Kurt reached for the asparagus. A slight bump of Kurt's knee against his under the small table as Kurt shifted slightly in his seat. A quick touch of their fingers as Blaine handed Kurt his glass to refill their wine. Every time it happened, Blaine would lose track of the conversation while he forced his body to relax.

By the time they finished their meal, Blaine felt like he was on fire. He had never wanted to touch anyone so badly in his life. Kurt, however, didn't seem to be affected at all. He kept up their conversation effortlessly while he slid the cheesecake in the fridge and started the dishes, apparently oblivious to the sexual tension fueling Blaine's racing heart and raging hormones. Blaine started to wonder if he had misread all the signs. Maybe it was just a coincidence that Rachel was out. Maybe Kurt would feed him some cheesecake and send him on his way with nothing more than a few kisses, or if Blaine was lucky, a repeat of their 4th date's makeout session.

Blaine tried to get a read on Kurt while he dried the dishes Kurt was washing and stacked them on the counter, but it was impossible. Kurt just cheerfully continued talking about some of the contestants on the latest season of  _The Bachelorette_  as he finished the dishes and started putting them away. Blaine hovered hesitantly, sipping at his wine and waiting for a cue from Kurt.

Once everything was put away, Kurt turned around and leaned on the counter. He eyed Blaine's glass of wine and frowned. Blaine frowned back in confusion. Kurt slid his eyes toward the counter, and Blaine tentatively held the wine glass over it. Kurt nodded in encouragement as he crossed the small kitchen towards Blaine, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. By the time Blaine had set the glass on the counter, Kurt was directly in front of him. Kurt flashed a quick smile, and Blaine's lips curved up in response. Kurt bit his lip and glanced down toward Blaine's lips, before his eyes flickered back up to meet Blaine's. Blaine wasn't sure he was even breathing anymore.

Then suddenly, they were kissing. Frantic, deep, desperate kisses, their lips pulling apart and meeting over and over as they attempted to relieve some of the tension that had been building since Blaine's arrival. Blaine nudged Kurt's body back against the counter and pressed himself as close as possible, both of them groaning in pleasure at the contact. When the kisses weren't enough, Blaine let his lips trail across Kurt's jaw and down his neck, leaving a series of wet, open-mouthed kisses.

When Blaine pushed the edge of Kurt's shirt aside and began licking his way across Kurt's collarbone, Kurt let out a moan. His fingers tightened in Blaine's loosely gelled curls. "You know," Kurt breathed as his head fell back to give Blaine better access to his neck, "I never did give you the full tour."

Blaine hummed in agreement against the base of Kurt's neck. "You're right. I think we should fix that," he mumbled between kisses against Kurt's throat, making his way back toward Kurt's mouth.

"We should probably start at my bedroom," Kurt gasped out.

"Definitely." Blaine's mouth slid back along Kurt's jaw, completing the circuit. "Lead the way," he whispered against Kurt's lips before capturing them in another deep, open-mouthed kiss.

Kurt kissed him back, his tongue sliding between Blaine's lips while his hands tried to tug Blaine's polo shirt out of his tightly belted pants. He made a frustrated noise when it didn't work, and instead settled for running his hands up and down Blaine's back, tracing the outline of his broad shoulders and trim waist.

When Kurt started shifting his hips against Blaine's, causing a torturously exquisite friction, Blaine tore his mouth from Kurt's on a moan. "I thought you were going to show me your room."

"You have to stop kissing me so I can move," Kurt answered.

Blaine made a whining noise of complaint. "Can't stop," he mumbled between kisses.

Kurt's only reply was to prop himself more fully on the counter and slide a leg around Blaine's waist. Blaine groaned at the tighter contact and pressed even harder against Kurt. They continued rutting against each other and making out until Blaine felt like he was a breath away from exploding. Kurt seemed to be in the same position, because he pulled his mouth away and leaned his forehead against Blaine's. He lowered his leg and placed his hands on Blaine's hips to gently nudge Blaine away. After taking a deep breath, Kurt said, "We are not having our first orgasms together in my kitchen, fully clothed like two teenagers trying to hurry before our parents get home."

Blaine let out a ragged sigh. "You're right. Our first time shouldn't be like that." Then he smiled shakily. "Maybe our second or third time, though, because this was…"

"I know," Kurt laughed. "Oh, God, I know." He took a few more deep breaths, clearly trying to regain a little control, before sliding down off the counter. He pulled back a little from Blaine to study his face. "You a little better?"

Blaine nodded. "But still very on edge, so I'm warning you that this will probably not be my most finessed or long-lasting performance."

"I've been about a second away from jumping you since about 3 minutes after you arrived, so I'm not going to do much better," Kurt confessed with a grin. "But somehow I think we're going to enjoy it anyway."

Blaine just smiled broadly and waggled his eyebrows.

"You are seriously killing me," Kurt mumbled, leaning forward to give Blaine a quick peck. "Now come on, before I spontaneously combust." He stepped away from Blaine, grabbed his hand, and dragged him further into the apartment.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are uncomfortable with sex scenes, you may just want to skip this chapter entirely, as that is literally all it is.

Kurt's bedroom was just around the corner, but it was still long enough to help Kurt gain a little bit more control. He couldn't believe he and Blaine had almost dry-humped their way to an orgasm. Kurt hadn't been that horny and out of control since… actually, Kurt had  _never_ been that horny and out of control. His first time with Adam had been surprisingly sedate and calm, and extremely underwhelming. They'd gotten better with practice and increasing familiarity, but Kurt had certainly never almost come in his pants while making out.

Once they were inside his room, Kurt swung the door shut. It was partly out of habit, but partly because while Rachel had promised to stay out until "at least Saturday afternoon," Kurt was worried there was a chance she might come back early. There was always the minor possibility of Rachel having a total diva moment and either insulting everyone until they forced her out or deciding she was too good for everyone and storming out. Shutting the bedroom door was a reasonable precaution.

Blaine was standing just inside the door, hungrily staring at Kurt. His obvious lust was empowering, emboldening Kurt to meet Blaine's eyes before reaching up to carefully unbutton his own shirt. Blaine's pupils dilated further, and his breathing became shallower. He lifted his arm as if to take over, but Kurt shook his head. "You do you," Kurt suggested. A short little pause with their hands to themselves might help them last a little longer.

Blaine lowered his hand but didn't immediately start taking off his own clothes. Instead, he watched as Kurt continued slowly working his way down the buttons. It wasn't until Kurt reached the bottom and slipped the shirt open that Blaine moved. In a flash, he yanked his shirt out of the waistband of his pants and pulled it over his head. However, despite the haste of his movements, Blaine took the time to carefully fold the shirt and set it on the corner of Kurt's desk.

"God, you are so hot," Kurt moaned, equally turned on by Blaine's shirtless body and his neatness with his clothing.

Blaine's eyes trailed appreciatively across Kurt's now shirtless body. "I can't even find an adjective to do you justice," he replied.

Kurt toed off his shoes and worked a little more quickly on his pants. Blaine was faster, undoing his belt before shoving his pants and underwear down in one easy movement. Kurt froze, his own pants open and forgotten. Blaine stepped out of his clothes and carefully folded them as well, and Kurt couldn't help but moan again. Blaine's body was a work of art. His muscles were well-defined, his shoulders were broad, his waist was narrow, and his ass… Kurt was pretty sure poets would write odes to Blaine's ass. When Blaine turned back from setting his pants carefully on the stack on the desk, Kurt's gaze zeroed in on his penis. It was about average length, but thick and so, so hard. Kurt immediately imagined how good it would feel in his mouth… or even better, inside him, filling him up so completely…

Blaine was peeling off his socks when he noticed Kurt staring. "Hey! Not fair," Blaine complained, pulling Kurt out of his reverie. "I want to stare too. Pants off, Hummel."

"Oh, God, you sound like a frat boy," Kurt whimpered as he starting sliding his pants down his legs. He kicked off his underwear and socks quickly, not caring that they landed haphazardly on the floor.

Blaine huffed out a laugh. "What the hell frats have you been going to?"

"Just shut up and kiss me," Kurt replied.

"With pleasure," Blaine said. He slid his arms around Kurt's waist and pulled Kurt flush against him. Blaine immediately plunged his tongue into Kurt's mouth, and Kurt responded without hesitation, rubbing against Blaine in an attempt to get closer. Blaine's chest hair was coarse and rough against Kurt's smooth skin, and Kurt shuddered at the sensation. Blaine slid his hands up Kurt's sides and then over his shoulders. With his arms resting on Kurt's shoulders and his hands slipping into Kurt's hair, Blaine rolled up onto the balls of his feet, which immediately brought their penises into closer alignment. Kurt groaned deep in his throat. Blaine rocked back on his heels, then rolled back up, and their penises, slick with pre-cum, slid against each other.

They were still kissing voraciously, their tongues meeting and dancing in a mimicry of their hips' rocking motion, until Blaine suddenly turned his head away. Kurt made a noise of protest at the loss of contact, but when Blaine licked his palm and slid it between their bodies, Kurt's sound of protest turned into a sound of pleasure. Blaine stroked Kurt a few times, rubbing his thumb against the head of Kurt's penis, and Kurt bit down on Blaine's lower lip.

As he felt his orgasm building, Kurt put the brakes on again, pulling away slightly. "Bed. Lube. More. Want more," he mumbled incoherently. He pushed Blaine toward the bed, reached out to yank the comforter off, and fell with Blaine onto the mattress. Kurt rolled to his side and reached into his nightstand drawer. He dropped a bottle of lube on the bed, then held up a condom in question.

Blaine seemed to understand what Kurt was asking, which was good, because Kurt wasn't sure he was capable of stringing any words together. He took the condom and quickly rolled it on, then pushed Kurt until Kurt was lying flat on his back. Grabbing the bottle of lube, Blaine coated a few fingers. He started with one, but Kurt immediately demanded more, so he slid in a second. Blaine moved his fingers along Kurt's anal wall until he found Kurt's prostate, then curled his fingers forward and gently massaged. Kurt gasped and clutched at the sheet below him. "Come inside," he begged.

Blaine eased his fingers off Kurt's prostate, but didn't immediately remove them. Instead, he slid a third finger in, making sure Kurt was stretched enough to take him. He pumped his fingers in and out slowly, and Kurt bit his lip in frustration. He was so close, but he didn't want to come yet. Not until he had felt Blaine inside him.

Finally, Blaine slipped his fingers out and shifted to kneel between Kurt's bent legs. He leaned forward and braced his arms just above Kurt's shoulders and captured Kurt's lips in a deep, wet kiss. As Blaine's tongue explored the inside of Kurt's mouth, Kurt felt the head of Blaine's penis at his entrance and pushed forward a little, and the tip slid in. "More," Kurt demanded immediately.

Blaine eased forward carefully, giving Kurt time to adjust, which Kurt appreciated. It had been quite some time since he'd had anyone inside him. Blaine felt so good, though, it was hard not to push down in impatience. Kurt focused on breathing in and out as slowly as he could to fight the temptation.

Blaine had licked his way up toward Kurt's ear and was doing magical things with his tongue and teeth just under Kurt's earlobe, but he stopped when he noticed how quiet Kurt had gotten. "Doing okay?" Blaine asked, nipping Kurt's earlobe.

Kurt nodded enthusiastically. "Keep going. More. More."

Blaine smiled and pushed forward the remaining distance, until he was fully inside. He closed his eyes and moaned Kurt's name, his expression one of pure bliss. Taking advantage of the proximity of Blaine's perfectly toned biceps to his mouth, Kurt lifted his head and gently sunk his teeth into the muscle, then soothed it with his tongue, which caused Blaine to moan his name again.

Kurt worked his way up Blaine's bicep to his shoulder, leaving a series of red bite marks. When he reached Blaine's collarbone and Blaine still hadn't moved, Kurt made a whining noise and shifted restlessly.

"Sorry. It's just feels… so… gooooood…" Blaine said as he pulled out and pushed back in. He repeated that a few more times, still moving slowly.

"Faster. Harder," Kurt demanded against Blaine's collarbone, and Blaine immediately complied, picking up his pace. With a satisfied groan, Kurt dropped his head back onto the bed. He trailed his hands down the muscles of Blaine's back, feeling their movement beneath his fingers, then cupped Blaine's ass. Blaine made an excited noise and started moving faster.

Kurt chanted Blaine's name in a litany of need as he drew closer to his climax. Seeing how close Kurt was, Blaine slid one hand between their bodies to stroke Kurt's penis in time with his thrusts. That put Kurt over the edge, and he shouted Blaine's name as he came, spilling seed onto both of their stomachs and Blaine's hand. Kurt's orgasm seemed to spur Blaine closer to his, because he began thrusting more rapidly into Kurt until he was moaning Kurt's name and coming inside him. He pulled out and collapsed onto Kurt, his head landing just over Kurt's racing heart. Kurt let his left hand tangle into Blaine's sweaty curls, mindlessly playing with them while their breathing slowly returned to normal.


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you prefer to avoid sex, there are some allusions to it in this chapter (no actual graphic descriptions though).

When he finally felt like he had regained a little bit of control over his body, Blaine shifted slightly so his full body weight wasn't resting on Kurt. He curled up against Kurt's side but kept his head on Kurt's chest, listening to the sound of Kurt's heartbeat slowly returning to its normal pace. Blaine turned his head to plant a soft, sweet kiss on the smooth, silky skin beneath his cheek. The fingers of Kurt's left hand were playing with his sweat-loosened curls, while his right hand traced random patterns along the arm Blaine had sprawled across Kurt's chest.

Blaine wasn't sure how long they stayed cuddled up like that, trading soft kisses and gentle caresses, but eventually Kurt murmured, "We should probably clean up."

"Mm," Blaine agreed, reluctant to actually get up but knowing they should. He pressed one final kiss against Kurt's chest before rolling into a sitting position. Beside him, Kurt sat up and stretched his arms above his head, and Blaine shamelessly admired his body.

"Stop it," Kurt commanded sternly.

Blaine's eyes shot guiltily to Kurt's face. He opened his mouth to apologize for whatever he had done wrong to offend Kurt, but stopped when he saw the way Kurt's mouth was twitching with a suppressed smile.

"Keep looking at me like that and we'll never get out of bed, and I think I will actually die if we go for round two right away," Kurt said as he stood and began walking toward the bedroom door.

Since Kurt's back was turned, Blaine didn't bother to keep the cocky, satisfied smile off his face. He climbed off the bed and followed Kurt to the door. Kurt pulled the door open slightly and stuck his head into the hallway. "Rachel?" he called.

"I thought you said she was out for the night," Blaine said in confusion.

"She said she would be, but you can never be too careful. We've had a few miscommunications in our years as roommates that have led to some embarrassing situations." Since there was no response, Kurt pulled the door further open and crossed the hall to the bathroom.

"Embarrassing situations?" Blaine repeated as he disposed of the condom.

"Let's just say I've learned to shut the door tightly when masturbating, regardless of whether I'm alone."

Though he'd just had incredible sex and a mind-blowing orgasm, Blaine's dick gave a little twitch at the image of Kurt touching himself, his long fingers stroking…

He startled when something cold and wet touched his hand. Looking down, he saw a washcloth. Kurt had a matching one and was cleaning off his abdomen. Blaine wiped at a few spots on his stomach. After washing his hands thoroughly, he followed Kurt back across the hall to the bedroom.

Kurt rummaged in the bottom drawer of his dresser and pulled out a pair of loose cotton pants. He held them up to Blaine questioningly, and Blaine nodded. Kurt tossed them across the room, then grabbed a pair for himself. The pants were a little long on Blaine, so he bent down and rolled up the bottoms. While Blaine did that, Kurt pulled on a soft, well-worn T-shirt. He held up another for Blaine, who shrugged, so Kurt put it back in the drawer.

In unspoken agreement, they walked hand-in-hand back to the living room. Kurt released his hand and walked over to a small shelf filled with DVDs and held one up. Blaine laughed when he saw what it was. "I couldn't think of anything more appropriate," Blaine said earnestly.

Kurt smiled and put the DVD in the player before joining Blaine on the couch, snuggling in close as he pressed play. Blaine hummed along to the opening credits of  _Moulin Rouge_ , and it wasn't long before it had turned into a sing-a-long. When the scene with "Come What May" began, they shared a laugh before repeating their first duet. Then they had to pause the DVD when Blaine couldn't resist taking the opportunity to kiss Kurt afterward… which then led to an unplanned round two consisting of back-to-back blow jobs.

When they returned from their clean up in the bathroom, Kurt stopped by the fridge on their way to the couch. "We can probably eat the cheesecake now."

"Probably?" Blaine teased.

"Well, if I was serving it somewhere more formal, I'd let it chill for a few more hours in the fridge, but it's not going to kill us to eat it now," Kurt explained. "And I don't know about you, but I've worked up an appetite."

Blaine feigned confusion. "Really? That's weird. Have you been doing anything strenuous? Some vigorous physical activity?"

Kurt frowned as if trying to remember. "Hm. I don't remember anything like that. Certainly nothing exciting. It's been a pretty dull night."

"Ouch!" Blaine retorted. "That was cruel."

Kurt shrugged and opened the fridge to grab the cheesecake. "You set yourself up for that one." He set the cheesecake on the counter and reached into a cabinet for plates.

"I don't think you're allowed to take set-ups like that after someone rocks your world. I think you're supposed to be showering me with post-orgasmic endorphin-induced praise."

"Yes, because you clearly need it," Kurt replied sarcastically, handing Blaine a plate and a fork and heading back to the couch.

Blaine settled at the opposite end, tangling their legs together. "It doesn't matter if I need it or not. It's proper post-sex etiquette."

"Somehow I doubt Emily Post ever wrote a book on post-sex etiquette."

Blaine took a bite of the cheesecake, and whatever clever retort he had planned in his head was lost completely. "Oh my God, Kurt, what the hell is this?"

Kurt gave him a smug look, but all he said was, "Chocolate and Irish cream cheesecake."

"Oh my God. How are you even real?" Blaine took another bite and moaned. "My boyfriend is a god."

Kurt froze with a forkful of cheesecake halfway to his mouth. "I am?"

"Kurt, are you kidding me? This cheesecake shouldn't even be legal."

Kurt shook his head. "Not that. Your boyfriend?"

It was Blaine's turn to freeze. "Oops." He set the fork down on his plate and rubbed the back of his neck in discomfort. "Um… yeah, so we haven't talked about this, but… I mean… I'm not seeing anyone else, nor do I want to, and um… I guess I've just mentally started thinking of you as my boyfriend…"

"Were you planning on clueing me in to that, or was I supposed to master telepathy to find out our status?" Kurt asked.

"No, no, it doesn't have to be our status… I mean, you're not obligated… it's totally fine if you don't want to, or if you need more time… I mean, I'm exclusively dating you, but if you have other people you're interested in, you don't have to…"

"How are you so adorable?" Kurt interrupted, nudging his knee against Blaine's.

Blaine nervously bit his lower lip and shrugged, unsure how to respond.

"Seriously. Too adorable. Speaking of things that should not be legal…" Then Kurt's lips curved in a small smile. "To answer your very inarticulate question, which wasn't even phrased as a question but I assume was meant to be one, no, I'm not seeing anyone else, and I don't want to be either, so I have no problem with the label boyfriend."

Blaine beamed. "Let me try this again. Kurt Hummel, will you be my boyfriend?"

Kurt smiled. "I would like that very much."

Still beaming, Blaine leaned forward to kiss Kurt, carefully avoiding their plates. As he was quickly discovering, one kiss was not enough, and soon they were awkwardly sharing deep kisses with their plates still balanced between them. Blaine pulled back slightly and stared at his plate, then back at Kurt, then back at the cheesecake.

Kurt caught his torn expression and laughed. "Finish the cheesecake. I'm not going anywhere."

Blaine smiled and settled back against the end of the couch while Kurt resumed the movie. He definitely liked the sound of that.


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some graphic descriptions of sex in this chapter as well. It's mostly fluff otherwise if you want to skip it.

The next morning, Kurt woke up alone in his bed. Confused, he glanced over at the empty space beside him. Blaine had definitely been there when they fell asleep in a sweaty, exhausted mess after a long, torturously slow round three late last night. Just like the previous two rounds, it had been absolutely mind-blowing. In just one night, Blaine had managed to become so attuned to Kurt's body, it had felt like they had been lovers forever. Blaine had been so responsive, it had been easy for Kurt to figure out what he liked. Just like their duets, being completely in sync had been almost effortless.

Which was why Kurt thought Blaine would have stayed. Kurt knew he hadn't explicitly issued an invitation to stay overnight, but he'd thought it went without saying that Blaine didn't need to leave.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Kurt rolled his head to look at the clock. 10:19 AM. Still early enough that if he called Blaine now, Blaine could come back and snuggle with him in bed. Maybe they could take a nap together.

Kurt was about to pick up his phone to call Blaine and whine about being abandoned when he caught sight of Blaine's clothes from last night, still neatly folded on the desk. Kurt glanced over to the chair, where he'd sleepily left a set of towels for Blaine last night, because no matter how tired and sexually satisfied he was, Kurt was always a polite host. The towels were gone, but Kurt didn't hear the water running in the bathroom.

Curious where Blaine was, Kurt skipped his usual Saturday morning ritual of lazily lying in bed and got up. After a quick trip to the bathroom, he headed for the kitchen, where he heard movement… and found Blaine, singing quietly to himself and swaying his hips while he cut fruit at the counter.

Kurt shuffled further into the room, and Blaine's head turned toward the noise. His face lit up when he saw Kurt. "You're awake!" He kissed Kurt quickly in greeting, then pulled back and picked up the song where he had left off, now at a louder volume. He grabbed Kurt's hands and danced him across the kitchen in time with his rendition of "For Once In My Life" by Frank Sinatra.

Blaine finished as they reached the table, and Kurt dropped into a chair. "Oh, no. You're a morning person," he moaned as Blaine shimmied back to the counter, apparently doing a Sinatra medley, for he'd switched to "Almost Like Being In Love."

Blaine just grinned and went back to cutting fruit while singing. Kurt got up to make himself a cup of coffee, then watched in amusement as Blaine continued swaying around the kitchen, transitioning to "Fly Me to the Moon," completely at ease in Kurt's kitchen.

By the time he'd worked his way through "I've Got the World On a String," Kurt had finished enough coffee to finally feel awake. When Blaine switched into "You Make Me Feel So Young," Kurt joined in. Blaine's face lit up in delight. He dropped the fruit in a bowl, rinsed off his hands, and pulled Kurt into his arms. They twirled and swayed across the kitchen and living room. As they hit the last note, Kurt steered them toward the couch and pushed Blaine down, falling on top of him and immediately capturing his mouth in a kiss.

It wasn't until a few minutes later, when Kurt was sliding his hands underneath Blaine's clothing, that he noticed what Blaine was wearing. "Where'd you get this?" he asked between kisses, tugging at the loose T-shirt and elastic waistband of Blaine's athletic shorts.

"My bag," Blaine replied, running his hands under the loose waistband of Kurt's pants and cupping his ass. "I figured there was a chance I'd get up before you and want to get in a run."

Kurt pushed up off Blaine and stared down at him. "You already went for a run? How long have you been up?"

Blaine waggled his eyebrows lasciviously and rubbed his erect penis along Kurt's through their clothing. "Around you, I always seem to be up."

Kurt couldn't contain his laughter. He collapsed forward onto Blaine, burying his face against Blaine's shoulder. Beneath him, he could feel Blaine's entire body shaking as he chuckled. "That was bad," Kurt said between giggles.

" _So_  bad," Blaine agreed, his laughter slowing. More soberly, he added, "But you're stuck with me now,  _boyfriend._ "

Kurt smiled and turned his head to kiss Blaine's cheek. "Why did I ever agree to that?" he teased.

Blaine's hands were still resting on Kurt's ass, and he squeezed lightly as he slowly rocked his hips against Kurt's. "Because of that?" he asked huskily.

Kurt's breath hitched slightly at Blaine's movement. "I… ah, think it was more than that," he murmured.

Blaine tugged gently on Kurt's shirt, and Kurt sat up so that Blaine could pull it over his head. Blaine took advantage of the shift in Kurt's position to push him onto his back and lower himself down on top of Kurt. Rocking his hips again, Blaine dragged his hands up Kurt's sides and sucked on a spot on Kurt's collarbone. "How about that?" he whispered, his teeth grazing Kurt's skin.

Kurt hummed in contentment. "Maybe," he hedged.

Blaine sighed in mock frustration, his breath tickling Kurt's throat as he moved to plant a kiss just below Kurt's ear. He slid his hands down Kurt's back. As he moved his head and bit gently on Kurt's earlobe, he slipped one hand between them to grasp Kurt's penis. With one finger of the other hand, he gently circled Kurt's entrance. The combination of sensations had Kurt moaning loudly. He pumped his hips into Blaine's hand, and Blaine tightened his grip and ran his thumb over the head of Kurt's penis. "How about that?" Blaine hummed into Kurt's ear.

"Oh, God, yes," Kurt groaned, not even remembering what question he was answering. All he knew was that he wanted Blaine to keep going. Blaine obliged, moving his hand up and down Kurt's shaft with just enough pressure to keep Kurt on edge.

"You don't happen to have any lube in here, do you?" Blaine asked as he moved his other hand around to cup Kurt's balls.

"In my living room?" Kurt asked sardonically.

Blaine made a noise of disapproval and let go of Kurt's penis. Kurt made a noise of protest. "Don't worry. I'm coming back," Blaine soothed. He spit on his hand and slid it back into Kurt's pants, his wet hand now gliding more smoothly along Kurt's length. Kurt gasped and lifted his hips to push further into Blaine's fist, increasing the pace. Blaine followed Kurt's unspoken instructions and began pumping faster, then trailed his lips down to leave a wet path along Kurt's chest. When he closed his mouth around Kurt's nipple and flicked the tip with his tongue, Kurt lost it, coming all over his bare stomach.

Blaine stretched up to kiss him, and Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck and plunged his tongue into Blaine's mouth. Blaine shifted so he was straddling Kurt's thigh and began rubbing against it as they made out, making desperate noises in his throat that didn't immediately register in Kurt's post-orgasmic haze. As soon as he realized, he pushed Blaine off him and slid off the couch. Kneeling between Blaine's legs, he slid Blaine's shorts and boxers down enough to release Blaine's cock. After licking his lips hungrily, he surged forward and closed his mouth around it. He swirled his tongue around Blaine's penis, then worked up the shaft, tasting the precum that had collected on the tip. Blaine moaned and slid his fingers into Kurt's hair. Kurt slid his lips back down the length of Blaine's cock, then began to suck. Blaine's moan was louder this time. Kurt wrapped one hand around the base of Blaine's penis, squeezing gently, before repeating the movement with his mouth. Blaine kept moaning as Kurt increased his speed and tightened his grip. It wasn't long before Blaine was coming too, groaning Kurt's name as Kurt swallowed.

Kurt repositioned Blaine's shorts, then sat back on his heels and pressed a series of soft kisses to the inside of Blaine's thigh. Blaine tugged lightly on his hair, and Kurt took the hint and stood. He leaned over Blaine and pressed a long, lingering kiss to his mouth. Then he straightened. "I'm going to go clean up, and then we should have some breakfast."

"I was going to make pancakes," Blaine replied, turning his head to follow Kurt's movement toward the bathroom.

"That sounds delicious, but I don't think I have any milk. Or eggs, actually."

"You do now. I picked them up at the grocery store on my way back from my run."

"Seriously, what time did you wake up this morning?" Kurt called from the bathroom as he cleaned himself off.

"Not that early. 8:15."

"That's not possible," Kurt said as reentered the kitchen, where Blaine was pulling batter out of the fridge. "That time doesn't exist on weekends."

Blaine laughed. "Just because you've never seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

"I'm pretty sure it does. Isn't that how we know Santa's not real?"

"Santa's not real?!" Blaine gasped, and Kurt nudged him playfully as he reached into a cabinet. He pulled out his electric griddle, a Black Friday bargain he didn't use nearly often enough. While Blaine poured the batter, Kurt found a spatula. After passing it off to Blaine, he began to set the table. He grabbed a spoon for the fruit salad Blaine had made, clearly additional grocery store purchases, since Kurt knew he hadn't had any fruit other than a few rotting bananas he was saving for banana bread. They worked in comfortable silence for a few minutes, and Kurt was struck with a sense of rightness, like having Blaine in his kitchen, enjoying a domestic Saturday morning together, was exactly how things were supposed to be.

The sense of rightness didn't fade as they discussed their plans for the day over breakfast. Despite Blaine's suggestive comments and begging eyes, Kurt insisted they leave the apartment, at least for a little while. Then Blaine grabbed the paper, apparently the only other person besides Rachel in their generation who regularly read it in print, and skimmed through it while Kurt checked on some watched items on eBay on his phone. After they cleaned up their breakfast dishes, Blaine grabbed a change of clothing from his messenger bag, causing Kurt to raise his eyebrows in surprise. "A little presumptuous, weren't you? Running clothes, a change of clothes, a toothbrush last night…?"

Blaine shrugged. "I figured it couldn't hurt to be prepared. Just in case. Not that I was assuming. Just hoping."

"Mhm," Kurt replied skeptically.

"What?" Blaine asked defensively.

"Nothing," Kurt said, because as comfortable as he was around Blaine, he still was a fairly reserved person, and blurting out how utterly charmed he was by everything about Blaine and how scarily strong his feelings were becoming was a little much for Kurt. "I'm going to take a shower. Can you amuse yourself for a little?"

Blaine nodded, and Kurt headed down the hall to his room. Thirty minutes later, he emerged from his room to find Blaine, fully dressed and sitting at Rachel's old rehearsal piano that she'd finally convinced her dads to bring from Ohio to New York a few years ago. Blaine was completely absorbed in the notes he was playing and the words he was pausing to scribble in a small notebook, totally oblivious to Kurt's presence. Recognizing the look of someone who was creatively in the zone, Kurt settled into the couch with a magazine and waited, sneaking occasional glances at his sexy boyfriend. ( _Boyfriend!_  his brain repeated.)

Almost an hour later, Blaine looked up and caught sight of Kurt. He looked over at the clock and smiled sheepishly. "I'm going to guess you've been there a while."

Kurt nodded. "It's okay, though. I get it. Sometimes you just get lost in the creative process."

Blaine smiled in agreement as he swung to face Kurt more fully. "Yeah, but still, that was rude of me. Sorry. I just… had a lot of feelings, and I had to write them."

Kurt set the magazine on the table. "You really don't have to apologize. If you want to stay and keep going, I've got other magazines I've been putting off for a while."

"No, no, I could use a break. Let's go." He slid the notebook back into his messenger bag, then held out his hand. Kurt slid his hand into Blaine's, then grabbed his keys and led them out of the apartment.

After spending several hours window shopping and exploring the galleries of Bushwick, as well as a stop by Kurt's favorite local sushi restaurant for lunch, they made their way back to the apartment. Rachel was home, so the three of them cooked dinner together while running through a medley of their favorite Broadway hits. After dinner, they opened a bottle of wine, popped a bag of popcorn, and settled in to watch Rachel's collection of  _Sex and the City_  DVDs. Just after midnight, Rachel looked at Kurt and winked, then wished them both goodnight in a suggestive tone.

"She's not very subtle, is she?" Blaine laughed from his spot in Kurt's arms.

"If you thought that was bad, just wait until you leave tomorrow. She'll just stare at me and say, 'So…' with this knowing smile until I give her enough information to satisfy her."

Blaine tucked his head more tightly into Kurt's chest. "I don't want to leave tomorrow. Can't the weekend last forever?" he whined.

Kurt tightened his arms. "I know. But we still have tonight…"

"Well, then, Mr. Hummel," Blaine said, standing and holding out his hand, "shall we?"

Kurt grinned and let Blaine pull him up and down the hall. "But we have to be quiet!" Kurt ordered as he followed Blaine into his room and shut the door.

"I can if you can," Blaine said with a smirk after he sucked on Kurt's neck, eliciting a loud moan.

"Oh yeah?" Kurt pushed his boyfriend back onto the bed and proceeded to use all the tricks he'd learned to drive Blaine wild, and Blaine happily reciprocated - which meant neither of them were very quiet. Kurt just hoped Rachel had some earplugs.


	38. Chapter 38

After his long and disastrous relationship with Sebastian, Blaine couldn't believe how  _easy_ everything was with Kurt. With Sebastian, there had been games and manipulation to cover the myriad lies Sebastian had fed him. With Kurt, there were no games, no lies, no cover stories. When they fought, they discussed it like mature adults, without silent treatments or disappearing acts. Blaine didn't have to guess what Kurt was thinking or feeling; Kurt always told him. They communicated. After years of feeling like he was in the middle of a minefield with absolutely no guidance or maps, it was so refreshingly simple to have everything laid out clearly and openly.

Blaine wished he could say the same for his relationship with his parents. They were coming to visit for Thanksgiving weekend, though Blaine suspected that had more to do with keeping up appearances and following tradition than with any desire to actually see him. Not that his parents disliked him – they just didn't understand him, or his brother, for that matter, and were disappointed their sons had failed to live up to their very narrow expectations. How two serious, conservative, staid people had ended up with two vibrant, spirited, artistic sons was a mystery to Blaine. Apparently the universe had a sense of humor.

Blaine doubted his parents found the stiff, awkward visits any more enjoyable than he did, but every year, like clockwork, they came for Thanksgiving, arriving on Thursday morning and leaving on Sunday afternoon. On Thursday morning, promptly at 10, his parents arrived at his apartment. Even though they came every year and Blaine never really changed the apartment, they always asked for a tour, and this time was no different. His father eyed the music room with distaste, as he always did, and made a pointed comment about how he hoped Blaine's "hobby" wasn't interfering with his work. In the kitchen, his mother peered curiously at the collection of colored superhero drawings on the fridge, which had now expanded to cover almost the entire surface thanks to Kurt's habit of adding one every time he came over. Blaine used the opportunity to bring his parents up to date on his personal life. His mother didn't react, still staring in confusion at the refrigerator as if she couldn't understand why anyone would want color in their life. His father, on the other hand, muttered something about distractions and then shifted the conversation to ask Blaine when he was going to finally get serious and apply for medical school. Blaine gave the same answer he'd given every time his father had asked, which happened every time Blaine called home, that he planned on starting his applications in the spring.

What Blaine didn't tell his father was that ever since his first date with Kurt, Blaine hadn't stopped thinking about what Kurt had said about shying away from his greatness. It had really resonated with him. Though he and Kurt hadn't talked about it since then, Blaine had subtly been trying to get back into his music more. He'd started writing more original music and had been more consistent about posting to his Youtube channel. He'd found a small community theater group he really liked and had started frequenting their shows as a source of inspiration, hoping that one day he'd have enough courage to actually audition for a show. He'd even looked into taking music classes part-time at NYU.

While Blaine was excited to be even thinking about music like that again, he knew his parents, especially his dad, wouldn't share his enthusiasm. Getting through their visit would be hard enough without having to fight with his father the entire time, so he just kept his mouth shut and spent the rest of the afternoon listening to them discussing acquaintances and family friends in Ohio.

After going out for a formal Thanksgiving dinner at an upscale restaurant on Thursday and spending the entire day with his parents on Friday, Blaine was exhausted by Saturday night. Between his mother's silent judgment and his father's more open condemnation, Blaine's confidence had been slowly eroded until he felt like a kid again, desperate for love, affection, and approval. He'd spent the entire evening with his parents at an annual holiday party held by one of his father's college classmates. As was tradition, Blaine stood silently by his parents' side and listened as they caught up with acquaintances, making constant disparaging comments like, "Oh, you must be so proud of your children – I would be if they were mine," and, "If only your kids could teach my sons the secret of their success…" Though he'd known what to expect, Blaine had never mastered the art of ignoring their remarks and letting it go. His best coping mechanism in the past had been silently drinking wine until he'd worked up enough of a buzz that it stopped hurting as much. This year, he'd also been texting Kurt, though after his parents had started glaring at his phone, he'd had to become more careful about doing it only when they weren't paying attention.

When the party had finally ended, Blaine was desperate to escape his parents. He'd never been more grateful for the fact that his parents stayed at a hotel instead of with him when they came to visit, because at least he'd have some space to try to pull himself back together before they went out to brunch in the morning. As their car crossed the city, Blaine mentally planned the rest of his night. He'd open a bottle of wine, put on some classic romance movies… maybe he'd even call Kurt. He knew Kurt had been out with some NYADA classmates who were in town for the holiday, but maybe they wouldn't stay out too late. He'd send Kurt a text first when he got home to find out.

At his apartment building, he tried to disguise his enthusiasm at getting away from his parents, but he was pretty sure the way he practically threw himself out of the door the second the car stopped gave him away. After assuring his parents that yes, he would be ready by 9 for brunch in the morning, he forced himself to walk at a normal pace toward the door and across the lobby, when all he wanted to do was run and lock himself in his room.

Blaine unlocked the door to his apartment and was surprised to see light coming from the kitchen. He knew he had left a light on in the living room, but he thought he remembered turning off all the other lights. Assuming he was remembering incorrectly, he dropped his keys in their usual spot by the front door and started toward his bedroom… and then promptly froze when he heard a noise in the kitchen. He glanced around for some sort of weapon, but there was nothing within reach. He slid his phone out of his pocket and unlocked the screen, ready to call 911, and crept carefully toward the kitchen, hoping to catch a glimpse without being spotted.

He didn't expect what he saw when he peered around the kitchen doorframe. "Kurt?" he said in confusion as he stepped from behind the wall into the doorway.

Kurt jumped in surprise and spun to face him, one hand pressed against his chest. "You scared me!" he accused.

"You scared  _me_ ," Blaine retorted. "What are you doing here?" He didn't bother asking how Kurt had gotten in, since Blaine had given Kurt a key a month ago after he'd gotten stuck late at work on a night they were supposed to have dinner plans and Kurt had been stuck waiting in the lobby for almost an hour. So far, though, Kurt had only used the key a couple times, and always when Blaine knew he was coming.

Kurt turned back to the counter and resumed stirring, but angled himself so he could still see Blaine. "Making brownies," he said simply.

Blaine took a few steps toward Kurt. "Why are you making brownies? In my kitchen?"

Kurt looked up from the bowl and met Blaine's eyes. "Because I know you've had a rough night and a rough weekend, and I don't know how else to fix it."

Blaine crossed the kitchen quickly and sagged into Kurt's side, wrapping his arms tightly around Kurt's waist and leaning his forehead against Kurt's shoulder. Kurt shifted to set his spoon down before settling his arms around Blaine. Blaine let the warmth and pleasure of being in Kurt's arms, feeling safe and secure and cared for, wash over him and chase out most of the darkness that had been haunting him since his parents arrived. Kurt seemed content to stay like that as long as Blaine needed, only moving to press a kiss to the top of Blaine's head and shift Blaine more fully into his arms.

After a few minutes, Blaine pulled back slightly and smiled softly at Kurt. "You're the best," he said quietly.

Kurt grinned. "Tell me something I don't know," he teased cockily.

Though it had been a joke, Blaine couldn't help but rise to the challenge. "I love you," he replied quickly. Blaine had been feeling it for a while, but he had resisted saying it out loud before now. He had wanted to give them both time to be sure of themselves and each other before he said it. At this moment, he had never been more sure or felt it more, and holding it in would have been almost impossible.

Kurt's eyes had gone wide with surprise and his smile had faltered while he processed, but then his mouth curved up again in a grin. "I love you too," he answered, pressing a quick kiss against Blaine's mouth, and Blaine felt a burst of joy rush through him. He kissed Kurt back, more deeply this time, and Kurt responded without hesitation, tangling his tongue with Blaine's.

When they pulled apart, they were both breathing heavily. "I should probably change," Blaine murmured, but he made no effort to actually move from Kurt's arms.

"I should probably finish the brownies," Kurt replied as he rested his forehead against Blaine's.

"You should. I love brownies," Blaine mumbled contentedly.

"I know," Kurt said smugly. When Blaine just snuggled in closer, Kurt reminded him, "You have to let go of me first."

"Don't want to," Blaine said, tightening his arms. He knew he was being overly clingy, but after 3 days of feeling completely starved of affection by his parents, he needed as much as he could get.

Luckily, Kurt didn't seem to mind. In fact, he almost seemed to understand, and Blaine loved him even more for that. Kurt pressed a kiss to Blaine's forehead and suggested gently, "How about I finish the brownies and put them in the oven and you go change, and we meet in the living room in 5 minutes or less?"

Blaine sighed. "Three minutes or less," he negotiated.

Kurt smiled. "Deal." He pecked Blaine on the lips and then pushed him gently toward the door. Kurt turned back to the counter and resumed stirring with one hand, pulling a pan toward him with the other.

Blaine headed for the door, giving Kurt one final glance over his shoulder before heading for his room to change.

Two and a half minutes later, they were cuddled on the couch watching the opening of  _Pillow Talk_ and discussing their attraction to Rock Hudson. A little ways into the movie, they paused it to take the brownies out, then paused it again a little later to cut them after they'd cooled.

After they'd each eaten a couple of brownies and finished the movie, Blaine lifted his head from its spot on Kurt's chest. "Are you staying tonight?"

"I can if you want me to."

Blaine laid his head back down and snuggled in closer. "I want you to. Though I have to warn you, I have to get up early to meet my parents for brunch."

"At least you have a reason for getting up early for once," Kurt retorted.

Too tired to come up with a witty retort, Blaine slid the hand resting on Kurt's chest down toward Kurt's ribs and fluttered his fingers against a particularly ticklish spot he'd discovered. Kurt squirmed beneath him, laughing uncontrollably and trying to grab at Blaine's hand. "Okay, okay, you win!" Kurt conceded, and Blaine stilled his hand and stretched to press a quick kiss against Kurt's smiling mouth before laying his head back on Kurt's chest.

"Are you going to be okay tomorrow?" Kurt asked into the silence a few minutes later.

"Will you be here when I get home?"

"Absolutely," Kurt said without hesitation.

"Then I'll be fine," Blaine replied with certainty, closing his eyes.

The next thing Blaine knew, Kurt was gently shaking him awake and helping him down the hall into bed. When Kurt snuggled up behind him, Blaine tugged Kurt's arm over his waist, cradling Kurt's hand in his own and sleepily mumbling "love you."

"I love you too," Kurt whispered back, squeezing Blaine's hand affectionately, and for the first time in a long time, the idea of seeing his parents didn't fill Blaine with dread. He'd get through brunch, and then he could spend the rest of his day with a person he loved, who  _loved him back_.


	39. Chapter 39

Kurt loved the holiday season. He loved the excitement and the energy, the hustle and bustle, the infectiously cheery atmosphere. He especially loved the holiday season in New York, and even more so when he had a boyfriend to share it with.

Not that Blaine shared Kurt's enthusiasm for the holidays. At first, Kurt had been surprised by Blaine's attitude – Blaine's enthusiasm often rivaled any small child's – but once he had seen how Blaine's Thanksgiving weekend with his parents had gone, he had been much less surprised. After all, a large part of Kurt's joy in the holiday season came from knowing he had a family he loved to spend the holiday with. Blaine didn't have that. Instead of the type of Christmas Kurt was used to, with love and laughter and family traditions, Blaine was used to spending the holiday alone. His parents went on a cruise every year, and Blaine had stopped going as soon as he was old enough to be left home alone. Kurt could understand how that might put a damper on the holiday season.

Even though he didn't share Kurt's feelings about Christmas, Blaine had been a good sport about tagging along whenever Kurt wanted to do something festive. They'd gone to Rockefeller Center to see the tree, ice skated in Central Park, visited Santaland at Macy's, and window-shopped to see the holiday displays along Fifth Avenue. Blaine had even been the one to get them tickets to see Radio City's Christmas Spectacular.

The only thing Kurt had had a hard time convincing Blaine of was coming home with him for Christmas. Every time Kurt had brought it up, Blaine had come up with a new reason to say no – he didn't want to intrude on Kurt's time with his family; they hadn't been dating that long; Kurt's parents shouldn't have to deal with some random guest in their house for the holidays… Kurt dismissed all of them, but still Blaine resisted. Luckily, Kurt didn't give up easily, and eventually he was able to convince Blaine to come. Because it had been at the last minute, Blaine hadn't been able to get on the same flight as Kurt, which had given Kurt a day at home with his dad and stepmom before Blaine's scheduled arrival on Christmas Eve.

Although Kurt knew Blaine had purchased tickets, and Blaine kept a running text message dialogue going all day while waiting for his flight, Kurt wouldn't fully believe that Blaine was coming until Blaine was physically in front of him. At the airport, he bounced on his heels as soon as Blaine's flight landed, staring intently at the entrance to the baggage claim area. When people began appearing, Kurt practically vibrated out of his skin. A woman nearby smiled at him. "Someone special?" she asked.

"Yeah. My boyfriend's coming for the holidays," Kurt said without thinking, then wished he could take it back. This was Ohio, not New York City, and people weren't quite as receptive to boyfriends here.

Instead of the tightening of her smile and the subtle steps away that Kurt expected, the woman grinned wider. "See that gorgeous woman over there with the sleeping newborn?" She gestured toward the seats at the edge of the room, and Kurt nodded. "That's my wife. Or will be, once Ohio gets its act together and lets us get married. We're picking up my sister – she's coming to meet my son for the first time." She was beaming now, a soft expression on her face as she looked over at her family.

"Congratulations," Kurt said warmly, smiling when the woman across the room looked up and blew a kiss to her partner. His mind drifted to images of a similar scenario, except instead of the woman cradling the infant, it was Blaine waving at him while humming soft lullabies to a tiny baby with tufts of dark, curly hair...

"Hey!" a familiar voice said nearby, and Kurt startled and found Blaine standing right in front of him.

"You're here!" Kurt squealed, throwing himself into Blaine's arms.

Blaine laughed and wrapped his arms tightly around Kurt. "You seem surprised, even though I've been giving you text updates all day."

Kurt loosened his grip and pulled back enough so he could see Blaine's smiling face. "I know, but I didn't want to believe it, just in case you changed your mind."

"By what, parachuting out over Pennsylvania?" Blaine teased.

Kurt stuck out his tongue, and Blaine laughed again. Mindful of their surroundings and not wanting to attract unwanted attention, Kurt reluctantly pulled back, but he let Blaine link their fingers and pull him toward the luggage carousel. "Congratulations again, and happy holidays!" Kurt called over his shoulder to the woman nearby, and she waved in acknowledgement.

After they collected Blaine's bag, Kurt led the way back to the car. Blaine was bubbly at first, telling Kurt all about the people on his flight and singing along to the Christmas carols on the radio, but as they got closer to Lima, he grew silent.

Because he drove so infrequently since moving to New York, Kurt was a little of a nervous driver, so he waited until they were on a straight and fairly empty stretch of road before taking one hand off the wheel, flipping off the radio, and squeezing Blaine's hand quickly. "Everything's going to be fine," Kurt said reassuringly.

"What if your dad and stepmom hate me?" Blaine asked quietly.

"They're not going to hate you," Kurt replied. "Why would they hate you?"

Blaine was silent for a few seconds, and then he mumbled, "Because I'm a screw-up with no direction in my life wasting time instead of going to medical school."

Kurt checked all his mirrors twice to make sure nobody was around, then risked glancing over at Blaine. His head was ducked, and his shoulders were slumped. Checking his mirrors again, Kurt pulled over to the side of the road and put the car in park. He reached across the console and grabbed Blaine's hands in his own. "When did your parents call?" he asked softly. Kurt didn't even have to ask if they'd called. Nobody else would put those thoughts into Blaine's head.

Blaine glanced over at Kurt, then looked away quickly in an uncharacteristic display of insecurity. "Just after you left yesterday. They were checking in before they left for their cruise."

Kurt cursed the car's design for making it too hard for him to pull Blaine into his lap and wrap him in a tight hug. He let go of Blaine's hands and cupped his face instead, gently turning it toward him and waiting until their eyes met. "Blaine, you are none of those things. You are an amazing person, a talented musician, a brilliant research assistant, and the man I love. You make me really, really happy, and my dad and stepmom know that and love you already for it. And as soon as they get to know you, they're going to love you for you. I promise."

Blaine bit his lower lip. "Are you sure?"

"I've never lied to you, and I'm certainly not going to start now," Kurt answered. "They're going to love you. I'm sure."

Blaine blinked a few times before nodding slightly, and Kurt leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Blaine's mouth. "I love you," he murmured, wrapping his arms as tightly as he could around Blaine's shoulders.

"I love you too," Blaine replied.

Kurt kissed him once more, then pulled back. Before they got back on the road, he pulled his iPod toward him and ran quickly through the song list. He selected a track, and as the opening notes came through the car stereo, Blaine laughed softly beside him. They'd started this ritual several months ago, when Kurt had shown up at Blaine's after a rough day at work feeling miserable. Blaine had dragged him down the hall to the music room and started playing, gesturing for Kurt to join in, and by the end Kurt had felt significantly better. They'd used the song a few times since then, whenever one of them was feeling particularly down on themselves.

As Kurt pulled back onto the highway, he belted out the opening lyrics to "Perfect," and smiled happily when Blaine joined in on the chorus. When the song ended, Blaine switched back to Kurt's Christmas song playlist, and they sang along the rest of the way to Lima.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a brief reference to Finn's death in this chapter.

Although he'd tried to believe Kurt's reassurances during his meltdown in the car, Blaine was still extremely nervous about meeting Kurt's father and stepmother. Blaine had limited experience with meeting parents, but Sebastian's parents had been even worse than his own. In addition to the polite cold distance that Blaine's parents had mastered, Sebastian's parents still hadn't entirely come to terms with their son's sexuality. Though they had never explicitly made an offensive comment, there had been subtle hints and slight insults here and there that had made Blaine extremely uncomfortable. They certainly hadn't loved Blaine, though then again, Blaine wasn't sure Sebastian ever really had either.

After Kurt parked in his driveway and got out of the car, he laced his fingers tightly with Blaine's, whether to reassure Blaine or keep him from running, Blaine wasn't sure. As they walked up the sidewalk toward the house, Blaine reminded himself that Kurt trusted his parents to be welcoming, and Blaine trusted Kurt. Blaine certainly didn't expect that Kurt's parents would love him, despite Kurt's insistence, but as long as they tolerated him, everything should be fine. If things weren't working out, Blaine had his old keys to his parents' house stashed at the bottom of his suitcase. He could go stay there by himself if needed.

Kurt pushed open the front door, and Blaine was sure the entire neighborhood could hear the way his heart was thumping nervously. There were voices coming from the kitchen, but they stopped when the front door squeaked shut behind Kurt. Footsteps approached, and Blaine braced himself for the introductions.

The people who appeared in the front hallway were not what Blaine was expecting. Kurt's dad was dressed in a baggy pair of jeans and a loose flannel shirt, a baseball cap on his head despite the fact that they were indoors in late December. His stepmother was also in jeans, though more fitted, and a slightly oversized knitted sweater. They looked so average and down-to-earth, Blaine immediately felt more comfortable.

"You must be Blaine," Kurt's dad said, holding out a hand.

Blaine extended his hand to meet Kurt's father's. "Yes, sir."

Kurt's dad laughed and surprised Blaine by pulling on their linked hands and patting him on the back in a quick hug. "I'm not a knight, kid. Call me Burt."

Blaine gave a tentative smile. "It's nice to meet you… Burt."

Burt smiled widely. "There you go." He gestured toward Kurt's stepmother. "This is my wife, Carole."

Kurt's stepmother stepped toward Blaine, wrapping him in a hug. "It is so good to have you here with us for the holidays," she said. Though it could have been just a polite platitude, her voice was filled with such genuine warmth that Blaine actually believed her.

Despite his surprise at their friendly greeting, Blaine still remembered his polite upbringing enough to say, "Thank you very much for extending the invitation. It was very kind of you."

"Oh, honey, it was nothing. We're glad you could make it," Carole said warmly.

"Really glad," Burt echoed. "Kurt tells me you like football. Do you know how long it's been since I've had someone to watch with?"

Carole glanced away and her smile slipped slightly, and Blaine remembered Kurt talking about what a huge football fan his stepbrother had been. Blaine was sure the memories were painful, even after all these years. She recovered quickly, though, and turned to Kurt. "Why don't you show Blaine up to your room, and then maybe you can come help me in the kitchen?"

Burt laughed. "That's her polite way of saying I'm useless and she's desperate," he confided to Blaine, and Blaine smiled back easily. He already felt comfortable with Kurt's dad, which surprised him.

"We'll be right back, and then I'll be in," Kurt said as he reached for Blaine's hand. Blaine grabbed his suitcase and followed Kurt up the stairs.

Blaine could tell the second he stepped into the bedroom behind Kurt that it was Kurt's room. The color scheme, the classy yet homey décor, the sewing machine in the corner... it was all so Kurt.

Kurt crossed the room and pulled open a door to a large closet. "I left you half the dresser, but I hope you can survive with only a third of the closet. I really couldn't condense it more than that."

Blaine had been caught up in absorbing the details of the room, the little hints and insights into Kurt's past, but he startled when he realized what Kurt had said. "Wait, I'm staying here?"

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that why you flew to Ohio? To spend Christmas with me?"

Blaine shook his head. "No, no, I meant… I'm staying in your room?"

Kurt nodded slowly.

"Your dad and stepmom are okay with that? I mean… isn't it… well, you know… inappropriate?"

Kurt looked amused. "Inappropriate?" he repeated, his mouth quirking in a small, teasing smile.

"You know what I mean!" Blaine replied exasperatedly.

Kurt pressed a light kiss to his lips. "Unlike you, my dad doesn't live in the Victorian era. He knows we've shared a bed before."

Blaine knew that Kurt meant that to sound reassuring, but Blaine was still freaked out at the concept of sharing a room with his boyfriend at his boyfriend's parents' house. Kurt seemed to sense his anxiety, because he kissed Blaine on the cheek and said, "I have to go help Carole. Take as long as you want unpacking, and then wander downstairs when you're ready." He squeezed Blaine's shoulder lightly and then disappeared out the door and back down the stairs.

Blaine unpacked relatively quickly, and then wished he hadn't when he realized that meant facing Kurt's family again. Sure, they had seemed welcoming and casual, but now that Blaine knew that they knew about him and Kurt sharing a bed… oh God… how was Blaine supposed to make eye contact with Kurt's dad, knowing Burt knew that Blaine and Kurt slept together?

Eventually, Blaine worked himself up into such a panic that he couldn't stay in Kurt's room anymore. The bed loomed larger than life, to the point where Blaine couldn't even look at anything else. It was like a giant reminder of Kurt's family's silent judgment and probable condemnation, as far as Blaine was concerned. Unfortunately, since he didn't know anywhere else to go, Blaine's only option was going downstairs to join Kurt and his family.

At the bottom of the stairs, Blaine followed the sound of Christmas music and laughter to the kitchen. Kurt and his stepmom were hard at work, sliding trays in and out of the oven and stirring things on the stove in a graceful ballet that could only be the result of years of habit. Kurt's father was sitting on a stool at the counter, carefully rolling a set of cloth napkins.

"Perfect timing," Kurt said without even looking up, and Blaine wondered how Kurt knew he was there. "You can help me ice the gingerbread cookies." Kurt picked up the bowl he was stirring and walked toward the small kitchen table, and Blaine met him there.

"Wow. First year here, and he already gets moved to food prep," Burt commented. "I've never advanced that high."

"That's because he's not completely hopeless in the kitchen," Kurt retorted. "He actually learns and remembers things, unlike some people." Though the words were harsh, Blaine could hear the undercurrent of affection in the teasing.

"I'm not completely hopeless," Burt protested. "I took care of myself for a long time before I met your mother and after your mom died."

"Yeah, took care of yourself right into a heart attack," Kurt replied, and Burt laughed.

"Alright, so the kitchen isn't my strong suit. But how many times did I try to teach you how to rebuild a car engine, Kurt?" Burt teased. Kurt made a dismissive noise, and Burt laughed. "See? That's a skill nobody else in this kitchen can claim to have."

"Actually, my dad and I restored a '65 Mustang while I was in high school, so I have a little experience with that," Blaine said, once again swept up by the warm and friendly atmosphere of Kurt's family and forgetting his panic.

Burt looked over at Blaine appreciatively. "Did you now?"

"Yeah. I think my dad was just hoping getting my hands dirty would make me straight, but I still really enjoyed it," Blaine replied.

"How'd you like to come by the garage with me while you're here? I'm actually working on a '59 Thunderbird convertible as a side project, if you'd be interested," Burt offered.

"That would be awesome," Blaine said sincerely. He had genuinely enjoyed working on the Mustang, despite the fact that his dad had always seemed disappointed and distant. "I've always loved the classic style of the T-bird, but my dad was more of a Mustang guy, so I couldn't talk him into it. I'd love to see what you've done."

Burt smiled. "Keep it up, kid, and you'll quickly become my favorite person in this house."

"Oh, is that so?" Carole chimed in from the stove, giving Blaine a smile and a wink.

While Burt and Carole teased back and forth, Blaine returned his focus to the gingerbread cookies Kurt had spread on the table.

"Told you they'd love you," Kurt muttered smugly, and Blaine just grinned in response and hummed along to the Christmas music.

By the end of the night, after a whirlwind of preparation, a delicious dinner, and a little too much wine while watching classic Christmas movies, Blaine was too tired to care about the fact that he and Kurt were sharing a bed in Kurt's parents' house. He tended to get clingy when he was tipsy, so he snuggled up close against Kurt as they fell asleep. "I'm glad you talked me into coming. This is the best Christmas ever," he mumbled sleepily.

Kurt turned his head to press a kiss against Blaine's forehead. "I agree," he whispered. "Merry Christmas, my love."

Blaine hummed in contentment. This might be the first Christmas since he stopped believing in Santa that actually felt merry. Tomorrow, when he wasn't so sleepy, he'd make sure to tell Kurt that his family was magic, that this was the most loved he'd felt in years, that he couldn't imagine his life without Kurt in it. But for tonight, all he could manage was a sleepy, "Love you," murmured against Kurt's chest as he drifted off into a blissful sleep.


	41. Chapter 41

Even though Kurt loved New York and didn't miss Ohio, it was still usually pretty hard to go back after Christmas. Leaving the warm, supportive environment at home with his family to return to a city where he was relatively alone was typically a rough adjustment, and one Kurt didn't handle well. Rachel even went so far as to avoid him for the first few days he was back every year.

The transition had been a little easier this year, thanks to Blaine's presence. It was a little like having a buffer against the sudden loss of that constant affectionate connection that he was used to at home. Kurt still missed his dad and Carole, but having someone around who loved him as much as Blaine did helped fill the gap a little.

Because of this, Kurt came up with all sorts of flimsy excuses to spend as much time with Blaine as possible when they arrived back in New York. Kurt was sure Blaine could see through him, but he appreciated that Blaine allowed him to maintain the pretense of being independent and self-reliant instead of clingy and needy. Blaine also didn't seem to mind that Kurt had practically been living with him since they had returned. He'd just slowly shifted things in his closet to make room for Kurt's. On a practical level, Kurt knew it was too early in their relationship to actually officially move in together, but he couldn't deny how nice it felt to come home to Blaine every night.

Since they were spending so much time together on a day-to-day basis now, Kurt and Blaine reached an unspoken agreement to try to maintain separate activities. Kurt still went out to Warblers with Rachel on most Friday nights or grabbed dinner with people from work on weeknights, and Blaine made at least weekly plans with his other friends. Kurt thought the arrangement was working out well, as it was still allowing them to maintain a good balance in their lives outside of their relationship, which was why he was so surprised when Blaine asked to tag along to Warblers one night.

"I thought you usually go out with Sam or Wes on Fridays," Kurt said in surprise.

"I do," Blaine replied. "But… I need your help with something."

Kurt immediately stopped trying to figure out how to gently discourage Blaine from coming and focused all his attention on his boyfriend. "Anything you need," he said sincerely.

Blaine smiled softly in acknowledgement. "I've told you about Wes's wedding in April, right?"

"I've already got it on my calendar," Kurt affirmed.

"Well, you know that Wes and I were in show choir back in high school, and most of the guys are coming for the wedding. We've all started emailing, and it's been decided that we should do a little reunion performance at the reception. Only…" Blaine trailed off.

"You have to perform, and you don't know if you can," Kurt finished for him.

Blaine nodded. "I was hoping maybe you could help me. You and Warblers, that is."

Kurt grinned in excitement. "You want me to get you back in performance shape. Show choir boot camp." He rubbed his hands together. "This should be fun."

Blaine eyed him warily. "Am I going to regret this?"

"Of course not! Who could be better to prep you for a show choir reunion than future Tony Award winner Kurt Hummel?"

Blaine laughed. "So you'll let me come to Warblers with you tonight? Maybe duet with me?"

"Oh, honey, we are going to do so much more than that," Kurt promised. "But Warblers is a good start."


	42. Chapter 42

By the beginning of February, Blaine both regretted and appreciated that he'd asked Kurt for help. He'd only expected a few outings to Warblers, but Kurt had, in true Kurt fashion, made it into something so much more than Blaine ever could have imagined. In addition to regular visits to Warblers, where Kurt found songs that increasingly spotlighted Blaine rather than being true duets, Kurt planned a demanding prep schedule leading right up to the wedding. He set a series of goals for Blaine's performance comfort level – by mid-February, he wanted Blaine to perform solos at Warblers; by the beginning of March, he expected Blaine to come with him to unfamiliar karaoke bars and perform. Kurt had also pushed for increased use of Blaine's Youtube channel, with more regular videos and less anonymity, but after a long argument, Blaine had finally convinced Kurt he wasn't ready.

In addition to working on Blaine's comfort with performing, Kurt insisted that Blaine needed to relearn his stage skills. After getting copies of Blaine's old show choir routines, Kurt had recruited Rachel to help them reconstruct some of the choreography. They'd held small dance lessons in Blaine's apartment, with Kurt and Rachel singing backup so they could mimic some of the old performances. The whole process was far more intense than Blaine's expectations, but ultimately he knew that if this didn't get him comfortable with performing again, nothing would.

Even though Blaine got annoyed occasionally with Kurt's constant pushing, he was tremendously grateful for how much effort Kurt had put in. Whenever Blaine tried to comment on how hard Kurt was working or express his gratitude, Kurt pretty much just shrugged it off. With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, Blaine wanted to find some way to show his appreciation. Back in high school and college, Blaine had been the king of grand gestures, even when they weren't welcome, but that had always been some ostentatious performance. Blaine wasn't quite up to serenading Kurt in the middle of his workplace.

The week before Valentine's Day, it struck him that there was a simple answer staring him right in the face: his Youtube channel. The only challenge now would be finding time to record something without Kurt finding out, since Kurt basically lived at his place now.

His opportunity came almost at the last minute, when he was starting to brainstorm elaborate back-up plans. On their way to karaoke the Friday before Valentine's Day, Kurt mentioned that he was going to spend the following night at his own apartment. "I haven't spent enough alone time with Rachel lately, and I think she's having a hard time dealing with being single and alone near Valentine's," Kurt confided.

As soon as Kurt left on Saturday, Blaine got to work. He played around with arrangements and practiced until he had everything perfect. After rearranging his set-up to change the camera angle, he took a deep breath and pressed record.

"Hi, everyone! This might be a little surprising, seeing my face, but thanks to the love and encouragement of an amazing man, I'm ready to drop the anonymity. So… hi! I'm Blaine." He paused and waved at the camera, hoping his smile didn't look too forced. "Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you're all sharing today with people you love, romantically or not, and thanks for sharing it with me for a few minutes." He smiled again, mostly to give himself time to take another calming breath.

"Speaking of people you love, this video is for someone I love very much. Kurt, you inspire me every day, and I am so lucky and thankful to have you in my life. I'm not very good with words, but hopefully this song will say what I can't."

With that, Blaine positioned his hands on the keyboard. He had chosen the song "All of Me," and he hoped the depth of his feelings was apparent in the way he sang and the way he played. When he'd finished the last note, he smiled at the camera, mostly in relief for having made it through the performance, then blew a quick kiss and turned it off. After watching the video and making some minor adjustments for audio and lighting quality, he uploaded it to Youtube and scheduled it to post on Valentine's Day, in the afternoon.

When Valentine's Day rolled around, Blaine snuck out early to pick up the flowers he'd ordered. On his way back to the apartment, he stopped at Kurt's favorite local coffee shop and grabbed some bagels from the place around the corner. Usually Blaine left the house while Kurt was just waking up, but his hours were pretty flexible, so it wouldn't matter if he got in a little late this morning.

Back at the apartment, he put the flowers in a vase. He heard Kurt already moving around in the bathroom, so he set Kurt's mocha and his favorite bagel on the table with the flowers, then sat down to eat.

Kurt shuffled into the kitchen a few minutes later. "Why are you still home?" he asked as he padded toward the table. In his semi-awake state, it took him a few seconds to notice the food and the flowers. "Blaine, we agreed on no gifts."

"It's flowers and a mocha. I hardly think that counts."

"And a bagel," Kurt added indignantly.

"You're right. The bagel was much too far. I crossed a line. I'm sorry," Blaine joked.

"It's a mocha and a bagel you don't usually get me, so I think that counts as a gift," Kurt argued.

"I can take it back, if you want," Blaine offered.

Kurt's grip on his mocha tightened. "I'll let it slide this time, but you still broke the no gifts rule."

"Well, after you prepare the special dinner you have planned for tonight, I think we'll be even," Blaine replied, taking a sip of his coffee.

Kurt's eyes widened in horror. "How did you know about that?"

"Lucky guess," Blaine said with a smile.

Kurt sighed. "It's not fair that you know me so well."

"I'm sorry your life is so challenging," Blaine teased.

Kurt narrowed his eyes. "Shouldn't you be getting to work?"

Blaine tilted his cup to finish his coffee, then stood. "I should, actually." After cleaning up his cup and plate from his bagel, he crossed the kitchen and leaned down to press a kiss against Kurt's mouth. "Happy Valentine's Day, Kurt."

"Thank you for the flowers. And the mocha. And the bagel," Kurt replied.

"You're very welcome," Blaine said, giving him another quick kiss before straightening. "I love you," he said as he headed for the living room.

"Love you too," Kurt called from the kitchen.

By the end of a frustrating day at work, with a series of experimental glitches that kept him much later than he intended, Blaine actually forgot it was Valentine's Day. He certainly didn't remember the video he'd recorded for Kurt, so Blaine was completely unprepared for the greeting he received when he got home. He had barely shut the door behind him before Kurt was pressed up against him, capturing his mouth in a deep, open-mouthed kiss.

Blaine certainly wasn't going to protest the greeting, so he tilted his head and chased Kurt's tongue back into his mouth. Kurt moaned low in his throat and pressed Blaine further into the door. Blaine rolled up to his toes to slide his dick against Kurt's through their clothes, and Kurt moaned again, more loudly this time, and rocked his hips faster against Blaine's. Blaine matched his rhythm as he tore his mouth from Kurt's and raced his lips along Kurt's jawline, going straight for that one spot on Kurt's neck that always drove him wild. He sucked gently, and Kurt let out a sharp breath. Blaine slid his hands down to cup Kurt's ass. He could tell Kurt was close, so he angled his hips to increase the friction and rocked down hard. Kurt whimpered and clutched Blaine's arms, pressing his nails into the skin of Blaine's biceps. As he plunged his tongue into Blaine's mouth, Kurt increased the speed of his hips to a frenzied pace. A few seconds later, he cried out and fell forward against Blaine. Blaine moved his hips a few more times, then growled and came as well.

Blaine let his head fall back against the door while he recovered. Kurt's forehead was resting beside him on the door, his panting breaths against Blaine's neck slowly evening out.

"So… that was a nice welcome home," Blaine said when he finally felt like he could speak.

Kurt let out a weak, broken laugh. Blaine affectionately squeezed Kurt's ass, then ran his hands soothingly up Kurt's sweat-soaked back.

"What do I have to do to make this an everyday thing?" Blaine continued.

Kurt raised his head and placed a kiss on Blaine's forehead. "If you want to upload me a beautiful love song every day, I have no problem with that."

"Oh, is that what that was for?" Kurt shifted slightly away from him, and Blaine slipped off his shoes. "You know, if all my bootcamp rewards were like that, I'd probably be performing in Times Square by next week."

"If all your rewards were like that, we'd have to do a lot of laundry," Kurt replied. Blaine laughed and wrapped his arm around Kurt's waist as they headed down the hall for Blaine's bedroom to change. "Plus, that wasn't actually one of your bootcamp goals, so that doesn't count as a bootcamp reward."

"Can we renegotiate?" Blaine asked hopefully.

"Nope. Negotiations are closed."

Blaine sighed. "It was worth a shot."

After they each changed into sweatpants, Kurt crossed the bedroom and wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist. "I am really proud of you, you know. You took a big step today."

"It's all thanks to you," Blaine replied earnestly.

Kurt shook his head. "You did it, Blaine, not me."

"But I wouldn't have done it without you," Blaine insisted.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "We're just going to keep arguing about this all night. How about we go have dinner instead? I made your favorite."

Blaine's eyes lit up. "That salmon thing?"

Kurt nodded.

"With the...?"

Kurt nodded again.

"Is there dessert too?"

Kurt scoffed. "Of course there's dessert."

"Is it...?"

"Of course it is."

Blaine surged forward and kissed Kurt quickly. "God, I love you."

Kurt smiled and grabbed Blaine's hand as they headed for the kitchen. "I love you too."


	43. Chapter 43

Kurt had always known Blaine was talented, but he was still amazed as he watched Blaine regain his confidence as a performer. Blaine's Youtube channel had gotten an influx of viewers after his Valentine's Day video (probably mostly from people who thought he was hot), which Kurt was worried would throw him off, but Blaine had been surprisingly calm about it. One of his coworkers had even discovered the channel, and Blaine had just laughed about it and invited her to join them for karaoke the following week.

Of course, it hadn't all been smooth sailing. There had been a few stumbles, some setbacks, a few nights where Blaine had been uncomfortable and panicked. For example, the first week in March, when Kurt dragged Blaine out to an unfamiliar karaoke bar, Blaine had frozen and missed his cue, so Kurt had just sung for him for a bit. Blaine had been pretty disappointed in himself that night, and nothing Kurt had said was able to reassure him that it was okay. Though Blaine grumbled about Kurt's intense schedule, Blaine pushed himself harder than Kurt ever could. The night after the mistake, Blaine had dragged Kurt to a different karaoke bar and soloed, explaining that he "had to make up for it."

With less than a month to go before the wedding, Kurt had absolutely no concerns about Blaine. He knew everything would be fine. Blaine was doing extraordinarily well, and Kurt was sure that surrounded by his high school friends, Blaine would have absolutely no problem slipping back into his show choir superstar persona and blowing everyone's minds.

Kurt was, however, worried about himself. More specifically, he was worried about how Blaine's friend Wes would react to him. Kurt hadn't actually seen Wes since that first night at Warblers, and he knew he hadn't made the best first impression. Kurt had met several of Blaine's other friends, but somehow he'd avoided Wes, perhaps intentionally on a subconscious level. Kurt was sure Wes must think horrible things about him, and Kurt was pretty sure he would blurt to Wes in the receiving line at the wedding, "I'm really sorry I was so awkward and weird," which probably would just make things worse.

When Blaine invited Kurt out to dinner with Wes and his fiancée at the end of March, a few weeks before the wedding, Kurt was both relieved and apprehensive. On the one hand, this would give him the opportunity to clear the air with Wes before the wedding and hopefully demonstrate his well-developed social skills; on the other hand, at least at the wedding, Kurt could mostly avoid Wes and any awkwardness by disappearing into the crowd. That wouldn't work so well at a restaurant.

As they walked to the restaurant on the night of the dinner, Kurt found himself getting increasingly nervous. From what Blaine had told him, Wes was a really good person. He was a social worker at a center for recent immigrants and refugees and worked tirelessly for little pay, while regularly volunteering in his spare time with various community outreach organizations. His fiancée was a lawyer who worked with an organization to provide support and resources for homeless and runaway teens. What if they found Kurt shallow and silly? What if Kurt's inability to contribute meaningfully to conversations about politics and social issues gave Wes an even more unfavorable opinion? Wes and Blaine had been close since high school – having Wes's approval was really important to Kurt, and with every step, he was less sure of receiving it.

When they were only a block from the restaurant, Blaine tugged on Kurt's hand and pulled him out of the main traffic flow of the sidewalk. Kurt had been rambling about the unseasonably warm weather, but he stopped abruptly as Blaine shifted to stand in front of him between two shop doorways.

Blaine's expression was gentle and understanding. "Kurt, are you nervous?"

"No! Of course not! Why would I be nervous? It's just your best friend and his fiancée. I mean, not just. Just implies they're not important, and of course they're important, but they're not like, the royal family or something… not to say that your friend and his fiancée are inherently less worthy than the royal family, of course…" Kurt's babbling was cut off when Blaine leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth.

Kurt let his forehead rest against Blaine's for a second while he took a calming breath. "Okay. Maybe I'm a little nervous," he admitted as he pulled back. "I know it's ridiculous. You can judge me."

Blaine's lips quirked in affectionate amusement. "I think it's adorable. I think  _you're_ adorable. And you've got nothing to worry about. Wes already thinks you're great, and his fiancée is really nice. You're going to be fine."

"How could Wes think I'm great? I think I gave him possibly the worst first impression in the world," Kurt questioned.

Blaine's smile broadened. "Might I remind you that that was also my first impression of you, and look how that turned out?"

"That doesn't count. You were already half in love with me. I probably could have done anything and you would have found it charming," Kurt protested.

Blaine laughed. "I don't think that's true, but I do love you now, and you are charming. But that's beside the point. Trust me, Wes is not judgmental, and he never thought poorly of you for that night at Warblers. And now that I've been bragging about how great you are for months, there is almost nothing you could do to get on his bad side at this point."

" _Almost_  nothing?" Kurt repeated.

"Nothing," Blaine corrected. "Because the things that would do it are things you would never do anyway. It'll be fine. You'll like Wes, and he'll like you." Blaine ran his hands soothingly down Kurt's arms, then linked their fingers and gave Kurt's hands a squeeze. "Trust me. If I thought things were going to go poorly, I wouldn't have brought you along or invited you to the wedding. Okay?"

Kurt took a slow, deep breath before nodding. Blaine flashed him a grin, pecked him quickly on the lips, and then merged them back into pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk.

When they arrived at the restaurant, the maitre d' informed them that Wes and his fiancée had already been seated. Kurt and Blaine followed behind her, weaving through tables, with Kurt clutching Blaine's hand tighter than was appropriate. As they approached a booth along the far wall of the restaurant, Kurt recognized Wes from that night at Warblers. He was sitting with a blonde woman who had her head turned away from them while she talked with Wes, but when Wes waved, she turned, and Kurt gasped in surprise.

"Quinn Fabray?!" Kurt said in surprise as they reached the table. Wes and Quinn had slipped out of the booth and were standing beside the table.

"Kurt Hummel!" Quinn exclaimed, a big smile on her face as she reached out to give Kurt a hug. "You're Blaine's Kurt?"

"You're Wes's fiancée?" Kurt replied. "I can't believe it! I haven't seen you since what, junior year of high school?"

Quinn nodded and smiled. "It's been a long time."

From beside her, Wes gently bumped her arm. "Not to interrupt this reunion, but it might be more comfortable if they were actually able to sit down."

"Right. Sorry," Quinn said with a soft smile toward Blaine and Kurt. She followed Wes back into the booth, allowing Blaine and Kurt to slide in across from her.

"It's nice to see you again, Kurt," Wes said with a welcoming smile as they sat.

"You too," Kurt replied, then added with a self-deprecating smile, "I'll try to be less weird this time."

Wes frowned. "What are you talking about? You were great! You got Blaine to perform in a way I hadn't seen since high school, which is something I'd failed at for years. I'm a pretty big fan of yours for that alone. And then there are, of course, your incredible performance skills."

Kurt flushed slightly. "Well, I'm certainly pleased with how things turned out," he said, sliding a glance toward Blaine, who grinned and squeezed Kurt's hand on the bench between them.

Wes smiled approvingly. "So am I. Blaine deserves someone really special, so I'm glad he found you."

Kurt felt his flush deepening. "Thanks," he mumbled again, ducking his head a little to try to hide the redness he knew was spreading down his neck.

"Alright, Wes, it's time to stop before you make them both so uncomfortable that they leave," Quinn chided gently. Surprised by her use of the word  _both_ , Kurt peeked over at Blaine and saw him taking careful, precise sips of his water, a habit Kurt had noticed when Blaine was nervous. Kurt slid his hand across the bench and slipped it into Blaine's free hand, linking their fingers, and Blaine took one more sip before setting his glass down and smiling at Kurt.

"So what have you been up to since high school?" Kurt asked Quinn in an attempt to break the silence.

Quinn gave a short laugh. "Oh, just a few things," she joked. She shifted slightly on the bench, and Wes draped his arm around her shoulders. "I'll give you the short version. As you know, the summer after junior year, I started acting out and getting into trouble, so my parents sent me away to boarding school in the hopes that I would magically straighten myself out. I bounced around between schools for a few months until I got into a huge car accident that nearly paralyzed me. While I was coping with being in a wheelchair, possibly permanently, I finally got hooked up with an amazing therapist who not only helped me through that, but also helped me deal with the feelings I had about giving up Beth. Eventually I pulled myself together enough to graduate high school, then got into Yale, and then I went to Columbia for law school. And now I work with a fabulous group of people to help amazing kids coping with difficult circumstances put their lives back in order."

All Kurt could manage to say was, "Wow." As he thought back to the girl he had known in high school, he realized he had never even thought to consider how she was coping with giving up her daughter for adoption. He had been so caught up in his own problems, he hadn't even noticed Quinn's struggles. Nobody had, until she had stopped hanging out with them and started running with a different crowd, but she'd disappeared before any of them could intervene.

Kurt was musing on whether he could have and should have done more for Quinn in high school when Wes's voice interrupted his thoughts. "I think you left something out," Wes teased.

"You mean you?" Quinn replied, turning her head to smile softly at him, and Wes nodded. "Kurt already knows we're engaged."

"How did you two meet?" Kurt asked.

Wes spoke without breaking eye contact with Quinn, smiling lovingly at her. "I was interning at a women's shelter while working on my masters degree, and Quinn was volunteering there during law school. Our shifts rarely overlapped, but there wasn't a lot of space, so we shared a desk. One night I accidentally left a note to myself with some homework questions I didn't understand on the desk. When I came back a few days later, Quinn had left me a long note clarifying the legal policies behind the questions, and we started communicating through Post-It notes on the desk. A few months later, I asked her out, and now here we are."

"Here we are," Quinn repeated softly, leaning forward to give him a quick kiss. Then she turned to Kurt. "So what have you been up to?"

"Nothing nearly as impressive as you," Kurt replied. He filled her in on his activities since high school, and then they started reminiscing about glee club. That prompted Wes to share some amusing stories about Blaine from their time together in high school, and by the end of the meal, they were all laughing over shared memories and embarrassments. They lingered long after they finished eating until finally Wes looked at his watch.

"I hate to break this up, but I've got an early meeting tomorrow, so we should probably get going," he announced.

"This was a lot of fun," Quinn said as they slid out of the booth and exited the restaurant. "We should do it again sometime."

"Definitely," Kurt agreed, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.

"After the wedding, we'll have you guys over to our place," Quinn offered.

"That would be great." Kurt shifted away from her so Blaine could say his goodbyes, and Wes pulled him aside.

"I know I'm probably going to embarrass you again, but I just wanted to thank you again. You've been so good for Blaine. I haven't seen him this happy in… well, to be honest, I'm not sure I've ever seen him so happy. It's so nice to see that after everything Blaine's been through. Thank you for being so great."

"He's been just as good for me," Kurt replied honestly.

Wes smiled. "I'm glad." Quinn appeared at his side, slipping her elbow in his, and Wes took that as his cue. Reaching out for a handshake, he said, "Take care, Kurt. We'll see you at the wedding."

"See you at the wedding," Kurt replied, waving as Wes and Quinn turned to walk down the street in the opposite direction of Blaine's building.

Blaine and Kurt walked hand in hand toward Blaine's building. "So you survived the terrifying encounter with the monstrous Wes," Blaine teased after a few blocks.

"Shut up," Kurt mumbled.

"I told you he'd love you just like I do," Blaine replied.

"Well, hopefully not  _just_ like you do," Kurt replied with a wry smile.

Kurt expected a sarcastic quip, but instead Blaine squeezed his hand tighter. "I'm not sure anyone could love anyone quite as much as I love you."

Kurt brought their linked hands to his mouth and pressed a kiss to the back of Blaine's hand. "I think I could."


	44. Chapter 44

Two weeks before Wes's big day, Blaine sent out a mass email to his fellow Dalton Glee Club members to find out when they would be getting into town for the wedding, so they could try to coordinate a quick rehearsal or two before the ceremony. After several emails back and forth, some sent with reply-all while others were sent only to Blaine, Blaine quickly realized email might be too complicated. Since several of the guys lived in or near the city, Blaine sent out another email proposing an old-fashioned council meeting at his apartment a week before the wedding to decide on rehearsal times and preliminary song choices. Anyone who couldn't make it in person could join in by video chat. The other Glee Club members agreed with the plan.

When Blaine returned from his morning run the day of the meeting, Kurt was already awake and in the kitchen baking. "Why are you baking?" Blaine asked, pressing a quick kiss to Kurt's cheek as he passed by to grab a glass of water. "Not that I'm complaining."

"You need snacks for your meeting," Kurt replied in a tone that suggested the answer was obvious.

Blaine rinsed out his water glass and slid it into the dishwasher. "I figured I'd just put out some chips or something."

Kurt made a disapproving noise. "No guest in my apartment is ever going to be offered something as pedestrian as  _chips_  for a snack," he replied, sliding a pan into the oven.

" _Your_ apartment?" Blaine echoed, and Kurt flushed as he straightened and turned toward Blaine.

"Sorry. Your apartment. I didn't mean to imply… I mean, obviously, I don't…"

Blaine chuckled and kissed Kurt quickly. "Relax, Kurt. I was teasing." He smiled and slid his arms around Kurt's waist. "To be honest, I kind of like the sound of that."

Kurt's eyebrows pulled together slightly. "Blaine, we've talked about this. It's too soon."

"I know," Blaine replied, even though he didn't fully understand. Kurt kept insisting it was too soon for them to be discussing moving in together, yet since Christmas, Kurt had spent an average of one night a week at his own place. Most of his clothes had found their way into the spaces in Blaine's closet and drawers, and the kitchen was full of ingredients and equipment Blaine had never heard of until Kurt had arrived. As far as Blaine was concerned, they were living together, but if Kurt needed more time to come to terms with it, Blaine would give him time.

Blaine pressed a quick kiss against the tip of Kurt's nose, then slid out of his arms and headed for the shower. When he reentered the kitchen, several platters piled high with baked goods and finger foods were spread across the counter.

"Kurt, honey, you know I'm only expecting like 3 or 4 people?" Blaine said affectionately as he watched Kurt artfully arrange a batch of brownies on a plate.

"People need to have options, Blaine. And it's better to have too much than too little," Kurt said, delicately placing the final brownie at the top of the stack. He glanced over at the clock on the stove. The meeting was set to start in a half hour. "Perfect timing. I'll just get dressed and then head out."

"You really don't have to leave," Blaine said, but he knew Kurt wouldn't listen. They'd already had this conversation several times.

Kurt slid the brownie tray into the sink, and Blaine automatically went over and started washing. "It's okay. I've got plans to meet up with Mercedes and Santana for lunch anyway," Kurt replied as he made a pile of the rest of his dishes next to the sink for Blaine. He squeezed Blaine's shoulders quickly as he walked by.

Blaine was putting the last of the dishes away when Kurt breezed back into the kitchen, now fully dressed. "There's also a cheese plate in the fridge," Kurt said as he approached Blaine. "And don't forget to offer beverages."

"I have had friends over before," Blaine teased. "I think I can handle this."

"Says the man who was going to offer 'chips or something,'" Kurt mocked, looping his arms around Blaine's waist loosely.

"Most people would think that was perfectly acceptable," Blaine defended.

Kurt pressed a kiss to his lips. "Good thing I'm not most people." He stepped slightly away from Blaine. "I'll see you later."

"Mm, good thing," Blaine said with a smile.

Kurt grinned back, then squeezed Blaine's hand and headed for the door. "Don't forget the napkins!" he called as he opened the front door.

"Love you too!" Blaine retorted. He heard Kurt laugh just before the door closed.

Blaine started transferring the food to the living room, then went to his room to grab his laptop. He had just finished setting it up on the end table when the first knock sounded on the door. Within minutes, Nick, Jeff, Trent, and David had all arrived, all perfectly punctual thanks to years of Dalton Academy training.

"Wow, check out this spread," Nick said after they'd exchanged greetings, eyeing the food hungrily.

"Help yourselves," Blaine said, gesturing to the plates and napkins while he set up the video chat with some other glee club members.

"Blaine, you didn't have to go to so much trouble. You already did enough work setting up this meeting," David said while the other three filled plates.

"Oh, that was all my boyfriend," Blaine said, adjusting the screen and waving hello to a few of the glee club members already signed into the video chat.

"Tell your boyfriend I love him," Jeff called, sighing happily as he bit into a brownie.

"I love him more!" Nick shouted, waving a finger sandwich.

"No, I do," Jeff mumbled, his mouth full of brownie.

Nick argued back, and they went back and forth for a few minutes. Trent muttered, "Children," under his breath, and Blaine caught David rolling his eyes. Blaine finally interrupted. "Well, I love him most. Should we get started?"

For the next two hours, they debated the merits of various song options, discussed possible arrangements, and finalized a rehearsal schedule for the day before the wedding. As Blaine had assumed, the other guys all expected Blaine to sing the lead, just like he had for most of high school. Blaine anticipated spending the rest of the week rehearsing privately with Kurt, just to make sure he was in shape for Saturday. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin Wes's big day.

When they'd made their final selection of the songs they'd perform, Blaine disconnected the video chat. Trent left as soon as they were done, needing to finish a paper for one of his English literature graduate classes. Nick and Jeff hung out for a little longer, making a surprisingly large dent in the food Kurt had prepared, before leaving together, arguing over which of the snacks had been the best. David stayed a little longer. Because he lived in Boston, Blaine didn't see him as often. As Wes's best man, though, he was in town for the week leading up to the wedding, and they spent a little while catching up before making plans to grab lunch later in the week.

Blaine had just started picking up the snacks when there was a knock on the door. Assuming it was Kurt, he called out, "Did you forget your key?" Without looking, he shifted the plates to his left hand and turned the lock, swinging the door open.

"No, you changed the locks," the man on the other side replied. When Blaine didn't reply, he smirked. "Did I miss the party?"

Blaine froze. He couldn't do anything but breathe the man's name in surprise. "Sebastian."


	45. Chapter 45

Kurt was in a fantastic mood as he rounded the corner to Blaine's apartment building. Lunch with Mercedes and Santana had been a blast. The food had been delicious, Mercedes had been bubbling with excitement over the imminent completion of her first album, and Santana had been as tame as Santana ever got. After lunch, Kurt and Mercedes had gone shopping to try to find a fabulous outfit for her small album premiere party. Though she'd been signed by a pretty small and relatively unknown label, Kurt was sure that once people heard her voice, neither she nor the label would remain unknown.

To make a great day even better, on the way home, he'd passed a farmers' market, open for the first day of the season. Now he had a bag full of fresh produce slung over his shoulder. He'd spent most of the walk back to Blaine's apartment excitedly planning recipes to use the fresh vegetables and basking in the unseasonably warm April weather.

As he entered Blaine's building, he smiled at Wendell, the weekend doorman. "Beautiful day, isn't it?" Wendell asked from across the lobby.

"It really is," Kurt replied cheerily. "Hope you enjoy it!"

"You too, Mr. Kurt!"

Kurt waved and stepped onto the elevator. He hummed quietly to himself as it slowly ascended to Blaine's floor. Outside the apartment, he set his bag on the floor to sift through for his keys. He pushed the door open as he settled the bag back on his shoulder. "I hope you're hungry, because you are in for such a culinary treat," he called over his shoulder as he slipped out of his shoes. "That farmers' market I found last fall is finally open again, and I picked up so much…" He trailed off abruptly when he turned around and saw Blaine and a strange man sitting on the couch.

"Kurt! You're home!" Blaine's tone was unfamiliar to Kurt. On the surface, it sounded excited, but underneath there was an undercurrent of some other emotion, almost like… relief? What was going on?

Kurt glanced down at his watch. "Sorry, I assumed everyone would be gone by now."

Blaine quickly scurried across the apartment and linked his fingers with Kurt's. The tightness of his grip was another red flag to Kurt. Something definitely wasn't right here.

"They all left, but um… Sebastian showed up late."

At the sound of the name, everything fell into place for Kurt. He didn't know much about Blaine's ex; it was the one topic Blaine always avoided, and Kurt didn't mind because he had assumed Blaine would eventually tell him. Now, though, he felt underprepared for this situation, as if he had shown up to a battle without any weapons.

Blaine was clinging to his hand and looking up at him with an almost pleading expression, so Kurt took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Sebastian, is it?"

The man on the couch stood and extended his hand. Everything about his mannerisms seemed too smooth and practiced, as if it were a fake façade of charm with very little depth. Kurt hated him already. "You must be the boyfriend Blaine's been telling me so much about."

Kurt put on a smile. "And you must be the ex I've heard so little about," he replied, shaking Sebastian's hand.

Sebastian's look was calculating and smug. "You know how Blaine can be. Very private and protective about the people he loves."

"That's funny. You just said he couldn't stop talking about me." Kurt settled into the chair across from Sebastian, and Blaine squeezed onto the arm, leaning heavily on Kurt.

"Shiny new toys are always exciting," Sebastian said coldly.

Blaine shifted uncomfortably next to Kurt. "I'm… I'm going to go make coffee. Do you want coffee? I'm going to go make some," he stammered, disappearing into the kitchen without waiting for a response.

As soon as Blaine was gone, Kurt dropped his polite smile. "I don't like you."

"Fine. I don't like you either," Sebastian said.

"I don't know what you think you're doing here, but Blaine is with me. That's not going to change. So why don't you take your smirky meerkat face and your obnoxious CW hair back to whatever hole you crawled out of?"

Sebastian let out a hollow laugh. "Please. Let's get one thing straight: Blaine is too good for you. You're boring and ugly, and you're never going to make anything of yourself. When Blaine realizes you've got nothing to offer, he'll come running back to me."

Even though Sebastian had just artfully hit every single one of Kurt's deepest insecurities, Kurt pretended not to care. He forced a chuckle. "Blaine told me you were a stockbroker, but he forgot to mention you wrote fantasy too."

"Oh, really? Then why did your boyfriend send me an email inviting me over?" Kurt made a noise of disbelief, but Sebastian was already pulling out his phone. Sure enough, the first email was from Blaine's address. The subject line read, "Let's get together (yeah yeah yeah)," followed by a smiley face.

Kurt couldn't disguise his surprise in time, and Sebastian grinned smugly. "Not so cocky about your  _boyfriend_ now, are you?"

Kurt felt a little stunned. There had to be some reasonable explanation for why Blaine would have emailed Sebastian, but the last 15 minutes had been so surprising, Kurt felt like his brain couldn't keep up. Luckily, he was saved from having to reply by Blaine reentering from the kitchen, empty-handed despite having said he was getting coffee. Then again, Kurt was pretty sure Blaine had no idea what he'd said; he'd just wanted to get out of the room.

"What did I miss?" Blaine asked in a hesitant, tentative tone so unlike anything Kurt had ever heard before.

Sebastian stood, sliding his phone into his pocket. "Nothing. I'm going to take off. Three's a crowd, as they say." He stepped toward Blaine, stopping very close, and Kurt stood too, though what Kurt intended to do, he wasn't sure. He just knew he couldn't sit idly by and watch Sebastian hit on his boyfriend. Kurt took a step toward them, but Sebastian just said in a low, intimate whisper, "It was so good seeing you again, sexy," before continuing toward the door. As he swung the door open, he added, "Nice meeting you, Kurt," with an arrogant smirk.

Even after the door shut behind him, Blaine stayed frozen in place, staring at it as if in a trance. "Honey? You okay?" Kurt finally asked gently.

Blaine blinked rapidly and turned to face Kurt. "Huh?"

For the second time, Kurt wished he had more information about Sebastian's relationship with Blaine so he could understand what was going on. "Want to talk about it?" he prompted, lacing his fingers with Blaine's and leading him over to the couch.

Kurt had barely sat down before Blaine was cuddling up close, resting his cheek on Kurt's chest. Kurt brought his hand up and threaded it gently through Blaine's lightly gelled curls, a soothing action he knew Blaine loved. When Blaine didn't speak for a while, Kurt finally asked, "Why did you invite him over if you didn't want to see him?"

Blaine lifted his head from Kurt's chest and looked at him in confusion. "I didn't invite him over."

"I saw the email, Blaine. You quoted the lyrics from that song from  _The Parent Trap._ "

Blaine sighed as he closed his eyes. " _That's_ how he found out. I must have forgotten to take him off the Glee Club email list."

Kurt let out a little laugh of relief. The Glee Club email list. Of course his dork of a boyfriend would use cheesy lyrics as the subject line for an email to his friends. Kurt knew there had to have been a reasonable explanation.

Blaine opened his eyes and furrowed his brow. "Did you actually think I had invited him over?"

Kurt shrugged. "I mean… I didn't at first, but then… he had the email, and he was here, and…" He shrugged again and waved his hands.

Blaine pulled further away from Kurt and sat up. "Wow. You must really think poorly of me. You think I would invite some other guy over here behind your back?"

Kurt frowned. This conversation had just taken an unexpected direction, and he didn't like the looks of where it was headed. "No, honey, I didn't…" he tried to soothe, but Blaine just continued.

"Wow. I know it's only been 9 months, but for God's sake, Kurt, don't you know me at all? Don't you trust me? I guess not. Maybe that's why you refuse to officially move in with me even though you're practically living here anyway. Maybe you're keeping your apartment because you don't think this is going to last because you think I'm a jerk." Blaine's eyes were almost manic, his words spilling out quickly and forcefully.

"Blaine, that's not it at all. Of course I trust you!"

"That's why you thought I invited my ex over behind your back? Because you  _trusted_ me?" Blaine spat.

Kurt felt his temper rising, but he tried to tamp it down. The logical side of his brain knew Blaine was probably just upset about his ex showing up, rather than mad at Kurt _._  "Blaine, honey, I know you're upset…"

"Of course I'm upset! After everything you know about me, about my history with Sebastian, you really think I would  _willingly_ invite  _him_  over?" Blaine interrupted.

Kurt's tenuous control on his temper snapped. "What do I know, Blaine? Huh? I don't know anything, other than that you two broke up! You've never talked about him. Whenever he comes up, you change the subject. If you want to talk about trust, why don't you trust me enough to tell me what the hell the story is? Maybe then I wouldn't have walked into a situation I didn't understand and been left to defend myself against some asshole I don't know while you ran and hid like a scared little boy!"

As soon as he said the words, Kurt wished he could take them back. Blaine's eyes flashed with pain before emptying completely. "Screw you," he muttered, getting up off the couch and heading for the bedroom. A few seconds later, Kurt heard the bedroom door slam shut. With one final glance down the hall, Kurt gathered up his bag of produce, slid on his shoes, and slipped out of the apartment.


	46. Chapter 46

Blaine hadn't thought it was possible to feel any more miserable than he had the previous night. He was wrong. The next morning was worse. He hadn't slept at all – being in his empty bed had just reminded him of his fight with Kurt. Around 2, he'd finally shuffled into the living room. Too exhausted to make the effort of picking a movie, he'd ended up watching a series of infomercials for products that would have made him laugh on any other day. Around 7, just as he was zoning out to the sounds of an overenthusiastic tele-evangelist shouting about salvation, he heard a very light, tentative knock on the door. Confused who would be knocking this early, he wrapped himself in his blanket and shuffled to the door. Maybe his neighbor's cat had gotten out again.

After yesterday's experience, Blaine wasn't about to blindly open the door to anyone. When he saw who it was, he hesitantly opened the door.

Kurt looked as miserable as Blaine felt. His usually carefully coiffed hair was flat and disarrayed, like he had been running his fingers through it. His eyes were rimmed with red, and his skin looked blotchy. He was wearing a pair of sweatpants and an old high school T-shirt Blaine knew Kurt never left the house in. The fact that he was even awake this early told Blaine that he wasn't the only one having trouble sleeping.

Kurt just stood there in the hall, staring at Blaine and biting his lower lip nervously. He opened his mouth a few times, then closed it, clearly struggling for the right words. His eyes started to shimmer with unshed tears, and his voice cracked as he said, "Blaine…"

Blaine let go of his tight grip on the blanket and extended his hand. "Let's get some sleep first."

Kurt stumbled forward and sagged into Blaine's arms. Blaine wrapped him tightly in his arms, the blanket surrounding them both. Neither of them moved for a few minutes. Finally, Kurt lifted his head from where it had been buried in Blaine's neck and sniffled a little.

"Come on. Bedtime," Blaine said simply, linking their hands and leading them down the hall after clicking off the TV. Within seconds, they were both sound asleep.

Blaine woke up 5 hours later, still feeling a little groggy. His head was nestled against Kurt's shoulder, his arm curled across Kurt's chest. One of Kurt's hands was folded across his chest and linked loosely with Blaine's. Blaine laid there for a few minutes, feeling the steady beat of Kurt's heart under their joined hands. Based on the way Kurt's hand was trailing gently up and down Blaine's back, Blaine guessed he was already awake. Blaine shifted his head and met Kurt's clear, blue eyes.

Kurt gave him a nervous half-smile in greeting. "We should talk," he said quietly.

Blaine nodded, but only shifted his head back to rest on Kurt's shoulder. They laid in silence for a while, Kurt's hand continuing its journey up and down Blaine's back, Blaine's thumb tracing gentle circles on Kurt's chest. Blaine wasn't sure if they were both just content where they were or if they were prolonging the inevitable conversation. Eventually, Blaine couldn't ignore his bladder anymore, and he reluctantly shifted away. He sat up and stretched, then padded down the hall to the bathroom. After he had gone through an abbreviated version of his morning ritual, he headed for the kitchen to make some coffee. Kurt was just finishing in the bathroom when the coffee was done, and Blaine silently handed him a mug and followed him to the living room.

Wordlessly, they settled on opposite ends of the couch, both swinging their legs up onto the couch so their feet brushed, needing to maintain some contact and some space simultaneously. Blaine took a few sips of his coffee, needing the caffeine too much to care about the fact that it was a little hot to drink. Kurt had both hands wrapped around the mug as if he could absorb the caffeine that way while he waited for it to cool. When Blaine set his mug to rest on his bent knee, Kurt finally spoke. "I owe you an apology. The things I said yesterday… I had no right to say them. I'm sure you had your reasons for reacting to Sebastian the way you did, and I should have been more sympathetic and understanding instead of hurling insults."

Kurt looked so small and upset, Blaine just wanted to end the conversation, declare everything forgotten and in the past, and wrap his boyfriend up in his arms. Tempting as that was, he knew Kurt deserved an explanation. He took a few more sips of coffee, building up his courage, before saying, "It wasn't your fault. You were right. I have been quiet and secretive about Sebastian. It just… our relationship wasn't good, Kurt, as you probably figured out. I really don't like to talk about it because I'm humiliated by how long I stayed with him, even knowing everything I knew about him."

"You don't have to tell me," Kurt said quickly over the rim of his coffee mug.

"I know. But you deserve to know why I was in such bad shape yesterday, and why I ended up taking that out on you." Blaine took one more gulp of coffee, now cool enough to drink, before setting the mug on the table. After taking a deep breath, he began. "As you know, Sebastian and I met in high school. I was a sophomore when he transferred to Dalton in the middle of his freshman year. I immediately felt connected to him by the similarities in our pasts. Both of us were from wealthy but emotionally distant families, both of us entered Dalton in the middle of a school year, though for different reasons, both of us loved Glee Club, and both of us were obviously gay. We became really close friends – it was so nice to have someone that sort of understood, you know?" He wasn't looking directly at Kurt, but he saw Kurt nod in his peripheral vision.

"In high school, we were always just friends. Sebastian occasionally flirted, especially when he got drunk, but we never did anything about it. I don't know what his reasons were, but for me, I was just so glad to have a sympathetic friend, and I didn't want to mess it up. We stayed close even after I moved here for college. We had both always talked about getting out of Ohio and going somewhere more accepting for college, so I wasn't surprised when Sebastian told me he was also applying to schools in New York. When he moved here, I was extremely vulnerable. I had had my little identity crisis in first year, and I was still really insecure and lost, so when he started flirting, I flirted back, and eventually we started dating. He was comfortable and familiar, and it felt like having a little piece of the old me back.

"The first few months were great. We spent lots of time together, exploring the city, going on dates, hanging out at each other's places. I was so convinced that this was the perfect relationship – I was falling in love with my best friend. What could be better than that, right?" Blaine let out a harsh laugh.

Kurt sat up a little and shifted toward Blaine, nudging Blaine's legs a little to the side and reaching for one of Blaine's hands. Blaine let the gentle stroking of Kurt's thumb across his knuckles soothe him before he continued.

"About seven months in, things started to get weird. Sebastian suddenly wasn't where he said he'd be. He started showing up late or canceling dates, always with really flimsy excuses. I suspected the worst, but I convinced myself I was overreacting. That worked until a month after our first anniversary, when I saw pictures of him making out with another guy at a party on a friend's Facebook page. When I confronted him, he was so apologetic. He swore it had been a one-time thing and it would never happen again; he had just been drunk, and nothing had really happened anyway. I decided to believe him, mostly because I had become so dependent on him as the source of my self-worth that I didn't know what to do without him.

"Things were good again for a while, but then they got worse again. The suspicious behavior picked up again, but Sebastian started getting manipulative and clever. Any time I would question him about his behavior, he would immediately turn it back on me and accuse me of not loving him enough, and I would immediately feel awful and let it go. I had pretty much wrapped up my entire identity in him and our relationship at that point, so I just kept forgiving him and letting it go. I caught him cheating or heard rumors of him cheating a few more times, but I always dismissed them as minor mistakes, because Sebastian loved me, or so I told myself.

"It just kept getting worse, but I was firmly in denial that anything was wrong. Some of my friends tried to intervene, but I wouldn't listen. We moved in together during my senior year, and then Sebastian proposed to me a year later."

"You were engaged?!" Kurt interrupted, his eyes wide in surprise.

Blaine nodded.

"Wait. Oh my God. You're not still married, are you? This isn't some tragic soap opera plotline where you're about to reveal to me that you've been secretly married this whole time and now your estranged husband is back in your life and suddenly you two will rediscover your hidden feelings…"

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand to cut him off. "You watch way too much TV," he said affectionately. "I'm not married. I never was. We never got that far. And trust me, there are no hidden feelings to rediscover. Sebastian doesn't mean anything to me."

Kurt exhaled in relief. "So what happened?" he probed gently.

"I wish I could say I finally developed a spine or rediscovered my sense of self-worth and broke it off because of that. Really, though, the cheating just hit a tipping point. About two and a half years ago, my lab was out for our annual holiday celebration dinner in early December. Significant others are always welcome, so Sebastian joined me. At some point, he excused himself to use the restroom. When he hadn't come back after like 10 minutes, I went to check on him and found him in the men's room with his hand down the waiter's pants. I just walked out and finished dinner as if nothing had happened. When we came home, I handed him the ring and told him I couldn't deal with it anymore. We fought for like a week straight, but finally he packed his stuff and got out, and that was the last I saw of him until yesterday," he ended with a shrug. "So when he showed up yesterday, it just threw me off, and all the progress I've made in rediscovering my independence and myself in the last 2 and a half years just evaporated, and then to make things worse, I took out my frustration on you. I am so sorry about that."

Blaine had been mostly avoiding eye contact with Kurt, afraid it would distract him from the story. He glanced over and saw Kurt's face was filled with… awe? Blaine was confused. He didn't have time to figure it out, though, because Kurt's lips were pressed against his in a sweet, tender kiss, Kurt's hands cradling his face as if it were precious and fragile. "You're so amazing," he breathed against Blaine's mouth as he rested his forehead against Blaine's.

Blaine pulled back slightly and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What? How is that what you got from that story? I was weak and vulnerable and pathetic."

Kurt let go of Blaine's face and blindly reached for his hands, interlacing their fingers. "Are you kidding me? You ended it, Blaine. You found the strength to call it off, and you rebuilt your life and yourself. You survived all that crap and still managed to be this incredible, wonderful, sweet, charming man I love. You are _amazing_."

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Stop it."

"No, you stop it. You're amazing, Blaine. That's a fact. And I'm never wrong, so you better just accept it now."

"Oh, is that so?" Blaine laughed. Then he sobered. "I love you."

Kurt smiled and kissed him again. "I love you too." He pushed off the couch and gathered their coffee cup. "Pick out some movies. We're going to enjoy a nice, lazy Sunday afternoon. I'm going to make some pancakes."

"With chocolate chips?" Blaine asked as he headed for the shelf with his DVDs.

Kurt spun around at the door to the kitchen. "Obviously," he said, his facial expression clearly showing how silly he thought the question was.

"You're the best," Blaine called toward the kitchen.

"And don't you forget it!" Kurt yelled back.

"Like you would ever let me!" Blaine replied with a grin as he pulled movies off the shelf. Today had turned out so much better than he had expected.


	47. Chapter 47

While Kurt was proud of the progress Blaine had made and the work they'd done, he would be happy when the wedding was over. In the week leading up to the wedding, Blaine had been practicing glee club numbers almost every night, and Kurt had often been roped in to offer suggestions or stand in for other group members. As much as he loved his boyfriend, it was so nice to walk in the door on Friday night and not be greeted by a frantic Blaine obsessively repeating the same dance move because he was "sure he could do it better." Instead, Blaine was gone for the evening for pre-wedding preparation. He'd had a late afternoon rehearsal with all the guys from his old glee club, immediately followed by the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Although David was the best man, Blaine was in the wedding party, so he was expected to attend. After the party, they were going out for Wes's bachelor party. Blaine had assured Kurt it would be tame and that he wouldn't be out too late, but Kurt hadn't been concerned in the first place. After hearing Blaine's story the previous weekend, Kurt was even more sure that Blaine would never cheat on him.

Rachel had invited him to Warblers for the night, but he'd declined. Kurt was really looking forward to having a quiet evening to himself. Rachel had invited some of her friends from work anyway, so she wasn't going to be alone anyway.

After turning on some classical music and enjoying a leisurely dinner of the previous night's leftovers, Kurt settled onto the couch with a glass of wine and his sketchbook. He'd had a few clothing design ideas floating around his head for a couple weeks, and he wanted to see if he could get them on paper. Even though his job at Vogue was just as writing articles for their website, Isabelle was always encouraging him to branch out. He'd showed her some of his designs in the past, and she'd always been more than happy to give him feedback. She'd even offered to help him transfer to another department that oversaw more of the layout and spreads for the magazine or to use her connections at some of the big fashion houses to get him a position, but he'd always turned her down. He was still set on his Broadway dreams and preferred to keep the sketching just a hobby.

When he got tired of sketching, he flipped off the music and channel-surfed until he found a  _Top Chef_ marathon from a previous season. He watched a couple of episodes, until his favorite chef got eliminated, and then decided to call it a night.

Kurt was just getting into bed when he heard the front door open. "How'd it go?" he called out as he heard the familiar sound of Blaine dropping his shoes next to the door and shuffling down the hallway.

"Good," Blaine answered as he appeared in the bedroom doorway. He started sliding off his cardigan and unbuttoning his pants as he talked, carefully folding them and putting them away. "Rehearsal went pretty well. None of the guys seemed to notice anything off about my performance, so that seems like a good sign. Most of them don't know about the whole stage fright thing – I only ever told Wes and David. David said he would never have known, so it looks like everything should go well tomorrow. Nothing to worry about."

Kurt narrowed his eyes as he watched Blaine moving around the bedroom. Blaine's words sounded right, but there was something in his tone and the way he was holding himself that was off. "Stop," Kurt commanded from his position against the headboard.

Blaine froze in the act of undoing his watch, standing in just a T-shirt and his boxers. "What?" he asked, looking confused.

Kurt sat up a little and patted the bed next to him. Blaine pulled off his watch and dropped it on the dresser, then crossed the room and sat down. He raised an eyebrow in question as he perched on the edge of the bed.

"Turn a little," Kurt ordered, using his hands to guide Blaine where he wanted him until Blaine's back was mostly to him. He tugged gently on the bottom of Blaine's shirt, and Blaine eyed him warily in the mirror over the dresser before reaching down to pull it off. When Blaine had dropped the T-shirt on the bed beside him, Kurt gave his boyfriend a soft smile of reassurance in the mirror, then scooted up and knelt behind Blaine. Placing his hands on Blaine's shoulders, he began pressing his thumbs along the base of Blaine's neck, massaging out some of the tension he could see. Blaine sighed a little and bent his head forward to give Kurt better access.

"Don't just tell me what you think I want to hear," Kurt said softly, moving the heels of his hands a little further down Blaine's back to work on some knots.

"I'm not—" Blaine started to argue. Kurt stopped his massage and waited expectantly. "How did you know?"

Kurt leaned forward to press a kiss to the back of Blaine's exposed neck before resuming his massage. "I know you," he said simply. "Now tell me what's on your mind."

Blaine groaned as Kurt hit a particularly tight spot. "What if I fail tomorrow?"

"You're not going to fail," Kurt assured him. "Look how well you've been doing. You've performed all over the place without any problem for weeks."

"I know, but this is going to be different. Wes's parents are really well-connected and have invited like… half of New York. It's a much bigger venue than some dingy hole-in-the-wall karaoke bar. What if I screw up?"

"You won't," Kurt replied without hesitation.

Blaine pulled away and shifted so he was facing Kurt more. "You don't know that."

Kurt settled back into a cross-legged position. "Sure I do," he said casually.

"Unless you're a time traveler, you can't know that."

Kurt picked up Blaine's hand and cradled it in his own. "Yes, I can. Because I know you, remember? You're not going to screw up, because you're a born performer. You're so incredibly talented, you can turn a random stranger begging you to duet with him into one of the most heartfelt and touching performances Warblers has ever seen. If you can handle that, you can do anything, Blaine."

Blaine gave him a weak smile, but didn't seem convinced, so Kurt continued. "Look, Blaine, I was in a glee club that won Nationals. I got into NYADA, one of the most competitive performing arts schools around, and took classes with some of the most amazingly gifted people in the entire world." Kurt made sure he was looking directly in Blaine's eyes when he continued. "None of them even hold a candle to you, Blaine. And before you argue with me that I'm biased, I've thought that since I saw your first Youtube video and all I knew was your voice. You're going to be amazing tomorrow, Blaine Anderson. I know that for a fact, and if there's one thing you should have learned from this relationship, it's that I'm always right."

Blaine gave a short laugh and turned more fully toward Kurt, and Kurt reached out and wrapped Blaine in his arms. "Thank you for knowing me and believing in me," Blaine said into Kurt's shoulder.

"Always," Kurt replied, rubbing his hands along Blaine's back. "Now come on. We've got a big day tomorrow. It's not every day we get to dazzle half of New York."

Blaine looked confused as he pulled back. "We? What are you going to be doing?"

Kurt gave him an affronted look. "Have you seen the work of art that is my outfit for tomorrow?"

Blaine laughed. "I have indeed. But you know," he said, leaning in for a kiss, "you're pretty dazzling even without it."


	48. Chapter 48

Despite Kurt's pep talk the previous night, Blaine was extremely anxious when he woke up the next morning. He quickly silenced his alarm and quietly slipped out of bed to avoid waking Kurt. Since Blaine was in the wedding party, he had to meet up with Wes and the other groomsmen early to start getting ready, but Kurt could sleep in a little later. He was going to meet Blaine at the church later, closer to the ceremony time.

Blaine tiptoed across the room to pick up his watch and box of cufflinks from the dresser. A piece of neon paper was tucked on top of his watch, just visible in the early morning light. Blaine squinted to read it. "Your performance today will be fantastic to watch!" it read in Kurt's handwriting. Blaine smiled over at his boyfriend, who was still sound asleep. Kurt must have gotten up in the middle of the night to leave him a reassuring note.

In the closet, he found another note hanging on the garment bag containing his tuxedo. "If there was an Emmy for best wedding performance, you'd have it in the bag," it said.

On his dress shoes, there were two more. "THESE SHOES BELONG TO THE BEST PERFORMER IN THE ENTIRE WORLD," the first proclaimed in big block letters. The second was written in Kurt's regular handwriting. "Well, if the shoe fits…"

When he picked up his cell phone off the nightstand, he found another. "You're going to be ex-cell-ent!"

In the bathroom was another series. "You'll light up the room!" the one on the light switch promised. "It's your time to shine!" the note on the mirror proclaimed. "Your performance will be so good, it will make everyone gel-ous," the note stuck to his hair gel read. Wrapped around Blaine's toothbrush was one that said, "You're amazing, and that's the tooth!" Kurt's blow dryer had one too. "You'll blow everyone away!"

Blaine was smiling broadly by the time he had collected all his stuff and made it to the front door, where he found the last one. "You're a-door-able! I love you!"

Sliding his phone out of his pocket, he typed out a quick text to Kurt, knowing now that Kurt was such a heavy sleeper that his phone wouldn't wake him. "I don't even have words to tell you how much I love you right now," Blaine sent, followed by a heart and a kissing face. His nerves weren't completely gone and probably never would be, but they were manageable now. He'd always been a little anxious before performances in high school, too, but he'd always been able to channel that into his performance. He knew how to do that, and he could do it again. For the first time since his glee club friends had proposed surprising Wes with a performance at his wedding, Blaine felt completely confident. He could do this. Why had he ever doubted that?

As he stepped into the hallway and shut his apartment door behind him, Blaine recognized a set of familiar feelings coursing through his body: excitement, joy, anticipation, enthusiasm… all the things he'd used to feel before performances, but had since forgotten. It was like finding a part of himself he'd forgotten he'd lost, rediscovering the rush and the high and the wonder that he got from knowing he was going to have the amazing opportunity to do something he loved: share his passion for music with the world.

Blaine was sure his smile was unnaturally bright for 7 AM on a Saturday morning as he got on the elevator, but he didn't care. It was so good to be back.


	49. Chapter 49

Kurt arrived to the church 20 minutes before the ceremony was about to start. As soon as he entered the building, he scanned the room for Blaine. Kurt had been texting him periodically all morning, checking in to make sure Blaine was doing okay and to offer reassurances as needed. Blaine's responses had all seemed calm, but Kurt would feel better once he saw Blaine in person. If only he could find him…

"You were wrong," a familiar voice said softly in his ear as a pair of arms wrapped loosely around his waist. "Dazzling isn't a strong enough word for how you look in this outfit."

Kurt smiled and spun to face Blaine. "What word do you propose?"

"Magnificent. Majestic. Stunning. Breathtaking."

"That's more than one word," Kurt teased, draping his arms over Blaine's shoulders.

"That's because there's no single word that does you justice," Blaine replied, leaning forward to give Kurt a quick kiss in greeting.

Kurt returned the kiss, then pulled back to admire Blaine's outfit. "You look pretty devilishly handsome yourself, Mr. Anderson."

Blaine grinned. "I have to try to keep up with you somehow." He stepped closer again and lowered his voice. "Also, remind me later when we have a little more privacy to thank you for the notes this morning. I loved them."

"I'm glad," Kurt replied, sliding his arms around Blaine again. "How are you doing?"

"Great, actually," Blaine answered. Kurt assessed his body language and facial expression, and they seemed to agree with what Blaine was saying. Unlike last night, Blaine's shoulders seemed relaxed and loose. His eyes were bright and shining with excitement rather than anxiety. Overall, he seemed surprisingly calm for someone who would be performing in a few short hours.

Kurt smiled. "Good." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss against Blaine's cheek. "You're going to be fantastic."

"That's the plan," Blaine replied with a wink.

Kurt laughed. He was so pleased to see Blaine looking so confident. He just hoped it would last a little longer, until the reception and performance.

Blaine released Kurt's waist. "I'd love to stay back here and continue to shower you with compliments, but unfortunately I have other duties." He held out his arm with a flourish. "Shall I escort you to your seat, Mr. Hummel?"

"Thank you, that would be lovely," Kurt answered, slipping his arm through Blaine's.

"How's Wes doing?" Kurt asked as they walked down the aisle.

"Not too badly, though it might help that David slipped some Bailey's into his coffee before instead of cream," Blaine answered. When Kurt looked shocked, Blaine quickly defended, "Just a little! And Wes knew about it, sort of. He gave David permission last night to do whatever he had to to take the edge off if Wes started freaking out, which he does by stressing about minute details. Wes was about to take out a ruler and start measuring the height of the knots on everyone's ties, so we figured that qualified under the 'whatever he had to' rule."

"Wow. Wes must trust you guys a lot. 'Whatever he had to' is so broad."

Blaine shrugged. "Wes and David are like brothers."

"That doesn't say much. Would you trust your brother that much?"

Blaine snorted. "If I told Coop to do 'whatever he had to', he'd probably interpret that as getting me so drunk I passed out and missed the ceremony completely. Then Coop would take over the ceremony, turn it into an acting lesson, and insist it was better than my wedding anyway."

Kurt laughed as Blaine stopped by an empty bench near the front of the groom's side of the church. Kurt unlinked their arms and stepped into the pew. Blaine seemed hesitant to leave. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine, Blaine. Go do your thing," Kurt replied.

Blaine leaned down and gave Kurt a kiss. "See you later," he promised before heading back down the aisle.

For the next few minutes, Kurt sat silently, watching the groomsmen and ushers seating the guests as they arrived. Every time Blaine caught Kurt's eye, Blaine would give a little wave. After about five minutes, Blaine reappeared at the end of the pew with two other guys in tow. "I found you some friends," he announced. "Kurt, this is Nick and Jeff. They were in glee club with me. Nick, Jeff, this is my boyfriend, Kurt."

Nick's face immediately lit up. "The boyfriend who makes snacks?" he said.

Blaine nodded. "Kurt's the only boyfriend I have, so yes."

"Oh my gosh, you are a god," Jeff said as Kurt shifted to make room for them in the pew.

"Seriously, you're our hero. Those snacks were incredible," Nick added as he sat down.

Blaine gave Kurt an amused and playful look before slipping back down the aisle, while Nick and Jeff continued showering Kurt with praise. Between the two of them, Kurt barely got a word in edgewise, but they certainly kept him entertained until the ceremony started.

The ceremony itself was beautiful. Wes and Quinn both looked incredible, but Kurt was sad to admit it had little to do with the clothes they were wearing. The dress was gorgeous, and the tuxedo was perfect, but they paled in comparison to the looks on both of their faces. They both looked so radiantly happy as they exchanged vows and rings that it brought tears to Kurt's eyes. He tried to surreptitiously dab at his eyes with his handkerchief, but at some point Blaine caught him and gave him a tender smile, which just sent the tears flowing faster.

Feeling like he was floating on a cloud full of love and happiness, Kurt exited the church with Nick and Jeff. They all went through the receiving line together, Kurt exchanging tight hugs with both Quinn and Wes and a sweet kiss with Blaine. After assuring Blaine that he was fine, he joined Nick and Jeff and made his way to the reception with them.

When they arrived at the reception facility, Kurt was overwhelmed by the size. Blaine hadn't been kidding when he'd said half of New York had been invited. Even Kurt started to feel a little nervous about the size of the venue, and he wasn't the one performing. He was relieved to see that Quinn and Wes had opted for a sweetheart table instead of a traditional head table, allowing the wedding party to sit with their dates. Kurt could keep a better eye on Blaine if they were seated together.

It seemed their table was mostly former members of Blaine's show choir. Kurt saw a name card for David and introduced himself to David's date, a sweet girl named Delia. Nick and Jeff were also at the table, as was a guy named Trent and his fiancée Brianna. They were all very friendly, and Kurt found the conversation fun and engaging.

Blaine and David appeared after a little while, finished with taking pictures. Kurt checked in again with Blaine to see how he was doing, but he still seemed very calm and relaxed. At this point, Kurt was pretty sure he was more worried than Blaine was.

The bride and groom made their big entrance a few minutes later. Everyone stood while they shared their first dance, and Blaine and his glee club friends used that distraction to sneak out and get in position for their performance. "You're going to be fantastic," Kurt whispered to Blaine just before they left. Blaine kissed him and whispered a quick "I love you" before following his friends out a side door.

After the dance, Quinn and Wes were seated at their table, and it was time for the toast. The maid of honor, a friend of Quinn's from college, went first. Her speech was very well-done, filled with just enough amusing anecdotes to avoid being too sappy, but still resonating with enough sentimentality to fit the occasion. Kurt felt bad for her, though, because he knew that even her excellent speech would be upstaged by the fact that David's speech included a glee club performance.

After everyone had toasted the couple, the DJ carried over a microphone to David, who was now one of the only people left at their table. From across the room, Kurt saw Wes's eyes narrow suspiciously when he saw the empty seats.

"Hi, everyone," David said casually, pretending not to notice Wes's suspicious looks. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm David, and I've known Wes since high school. We were friends for many reasons, but we initially bonded over our shared love of show choir. For a couple of years, Wes was our fearless leader, running a tight ship and keeping us on a precise schedule, which is not an easy task for group made up of teenage boys. When Wes asked me to be his best man, I figured I had two options. I could stand up here and talk incessantly about how great Wes and Quinn are together, but I think that speaks for itself when you see the two of them… or I could get a bunch of guys who love Wes as much as I do to help me with a much more spectacular event."

He started crossing the room toward the stage where the DJ booth was set up. "And before you start worrying about me messing up your down-to-the-minute wedding reception schedule, I already cleared all this with your new wife months ago—" Wes glanced over at Quinn, who gave him a sweet smile "—and she has factored this in. So without further ado, allow me to present the best all-male high school a cappella show choir there ever was, the Dalton Academy Glee Club."

From the curtain behind the DJ booth, a bunch of guys began filing out, each equipped with a microphone. David hopped up on stage and joined their formation. They were singing the opening notes to a song, but Kurt was too busy anxiously scanning for Blaine to place what song they were doing. Just as Kurt was about to start panicking because Blaine was nowhere to be found, the curtain burst open. "You'd think that people would have had enough of silly love songs," Blaine began singing.

Kurt was immediately entranced. He'd seen Blaine perform many times before, but this was unlike anything he'd ever seen. Blaine was oozing charm and confidence, the perfect lead singer as he swaggered across the stage in time with the song. Over the past few months, Kurt had watched Blaine perform many times, and he'd always detected a very subtle hint of insecurity, like Blaine was projecting the image of the performer he wanted to be rather than actually owning it, like there was some part of Blaine holding back and analyzing rather than being in the performance. Kurt was pretty sure he was the only one who could detect it, and it was only because he knew Blaine so well.

But today, Kurt couldn't find it at all. Blaine seemed completely in his performance, without reservation or hesitation. It was incredible. The Blaine he'd seen before had still been the best performer he'd ever seen, but this Blaine was… beyond anything Kurt could have even conceived. Kurt glanced around the room and saw that everyone seemed to be as enraptured as he was. People were dancing and swaying in their chairs, but everyone was paying attention. Kurt's heart swelled with so much pride and love, he thought it would burst. Luckily, with so many people in attendance, at least one of them had to be a doctor.

The group wrapped up "Silly Love Songs." While the room applauded, the guys on stage rearranged. Blaine stepped out in front while the rest of the guys formed a solemn line behind him. This time, Blaine led off without any backing vocals, belting out the opening lines to "Somewhere Only We Know," with the rest of the group joining in later with subtle backing vocals. Kurt found himself pulling out his handkerchief to subtly dab at his eyes, which seemed to be leaking again.

At the end of the song, David disappeared behind the DJ stand and pulled out one more microphone. He stepped down off the stage and held it out to Wes. "Come on, you know what our last number's going to be, and I know you remember the choreography because you spent so long drilling it into our heads."

Wes leaned over and whispered something in Quinn's ear that made her smile, before giving her a quick kiss and accepting the microphone. As Wes and David made their way back to the stage, Blaine caught Kurt's eye and winked. Around him, the glee club began the opening notes of the song, and Kurt immediately recognized the song and felt like he was melting inside.

"You think I'm pretty without any makeup on," Blaine began singing, looking directly at Kurt. Kurt started giggling uncontrollably, tears rolling down his cheeks, as his amazingly incredible boyfriend serenaded him with the first song he'd ever sung to Kurt.


	50. Chapter 50

As soon as he finished the last note of "Teenage Dream," Blaine knew he had killed it. He'd hit every note, nailed every step, and poured his entire heart into the performance, no holds barred. He felt euphoric as he joined the rest of the glee club in attacking Wes in a massive group hug. At some point, David ducked out of the huddle to shout, "To Wes and Quinn!" into his microphone, and Blaine heard the applause die down and glasses start to be clinked together in a toast, but he was too buried in the hug to care.

Eventually, they all let go and allowed Wes out. The rest of the glee club started stacking their microphones in the case behind the DJ booth and made their way back to their tables. Blaine started to follow them, but Wes grabbed his arm to hold him back. David walked by and scooped up his microphone, giving Wes and Blaine a moment to themselves.

Wes pulled Blaine over to the corner of the stage. "That was… wow. You know I'm not often rendered speechless, but I don't have words right now."

Blaine smiled. "Glad you liked it. We worked hard on it, but you really should be thanking David. It was all his idea."

Wes shook his head. "I'm not talking about the performance itself, Blaine. That in and of itself was an incredible gift, and I will be thanking David, and all the other guys, later. Right now I'm talking about you." His face split into a grin. "That was… _you_."

Blaine knew exactly what Wes meant. It was a part of himself he'd lost 8 years ago, finally back where it belonged.

Wes lunged forward and gave him a huge hug. "That was the greatest gift you ever could have given me. Seeing you being you again…"

Blaine laughed as he hugged Wes back. "Well, then, I'll just return the other gifts I got you."

Wes chuckled as he pulled back. "I don't know how you did it, but just… thank you, and I am so proud of you, and wow."

Blaine smiled. "Thanks, Wes." He glanced over at Kurt, who was still staring at Blaine with tears streaming down his face, and then over at Quinn, who was smiling tenderly at them. "You should probably get back to your wife."

"I should get back to my wife," Wes repeated, his face lighting up on the last words as if he couldn't get over the novelty of them. He gave Blaine a quick pat on the back, pointed at David as if promising to catch up with him later, and then made his way back to his table.

Blaine followed Wes down off the stage, then crossed the room to Kurt. Wordlessly, he grabbed Kurt's hand, linking their fingers, and pulled him through the same side door he'd disappeared through before their performance. As soon as the door shut behind them, Blaine used their linked fingers to pull Kurt toward him. Kurt came willingly, his mouth meeting Blaine's in a deep, open-mouthed kiss. It was a little sloppy and wet with Kurt's tears, but they were both so high on adrenaline and emotions that it didn't matter. Their lips separated and came back together over and over, neither of them being able to get enough of each other. It was only the sound of a door opening somewhere down the hallway that finally drove them apart.

Blaine lifted his hands and used his thumbs to brush the remaining tears off Kurt's face. "You were so good," Kurt said, pulling his handkerchief out of his pocket and offering it to Blaine. "Fantastic. Amazing. Incredible. I was so unbelievably proud of you."

Blaine smiled as he accepted Kurt's handkerchief and finished dabbing off the tears. "I'm glad. I want you to be," Blaine replied, his voice thick with emotion.

"I always will be," Kurt assured him sincerely.

Blaine handed Kurt's handkerchief back to him. "Add this to the list of things I have to thank you for later tonight."

Kurt tucked his handkerchief in his pocket and reached for Blaine's hand so they could head back inside. "You don't have to thank me for anything," Kurt said.

Blaine squeezed his hand. "Add this to the list of things I  _want_ to thank you for later tonight."

Kurt grinned. "I can get behind that."

Blaine gave him a salacious grin just before they reached the door to the banquet hall. "I was hoping to get behind you, actually."

Kurt made a scandalized face and swatted Blaine's arm. "Behave yourself. This is a family event!"

Blaine winked and pulled the door open, then gestured for Kurt to precede him. They started back toward their table, hand-in-hand. They had only gone a few steps when a woman appeared in front of them.

"Hi. Heather James," she said, holding out her hand toward Blaine.

Blaine released Kurt's hand to shake hers. "Blaine Anderson," he said politely, confused why this random woman had approached him.

Kurt shifted as if he was about to introduce himself, but Heather ignored him and began talking. "That was quite a performance you just gave, Mr. Anderson."

"Thank you, though I really couldn't have done it without Kurt's—"

Heather cut him off. "I'm producing a new off-Broadway show, and I think you'd be a fantastic fit for our lead. Do you have an agent?"

Blaine's jaw dropped open slightly. "Um… no, no, I… I'm not… I don't… I don't have an agent," he stuttered.

"Get one," she commanded. Then she pulled a card out of her pocket. "In the meantime, call me directly to set up an appointment. We've been auditioning people for weeks and none of them have been right, but you seem to be just what I'm looking for, Mr. Anderson." Heather held the card out to him, and Blaine took it, still in a state of shock. "Call me ASAP and we'll set something up. And get an agent!" She turned and walked off as abruptly as she had appeared.

Feeling shell-shocked, Blaine looked over at Kurt. "That just happened, right?"

Kurt turned to gape at Blaine. "Blaine… that was Heather James."

Blaine nodded. "I know. She told us."

Kurt shook his head. "No, Blaine… that was  _Heather James._ She's legendary. She's won all kinds of awards. Her last off-Broadway play made it to Broadway, and the cast swept up tons of Tonys."

Blaine looked down at the card in his hands, then back up at Kurt. "Holy sh—"

Kurt's hand clamped over Blaine's mouth, cutting him off. "Blaine! Family event!"


	51. Chapter 51

The rest of the wedding passed in a blur for Kurt. Blaine seemed to somehow be able to tuck aside the fact that he had just been approached by one of the biggest producers in musical theatre and just enjoy the wedding, but Kurt couldn't stop thinking about it. Heather James had approached his boyfriend to ask him to audition for one of her plays.  _The_ Heather James. At some point, he shot a text off to Rachel, hoping she would understand the overwhelming sea of emotions Kurt was currently experiencing, but her only reply had been an almost endless stream of exclamation points. Which was probably as articulate as Kurt could be about his feelings, too, if someone had asked him.

Fortunately, nobody was asking him. Blaine kept shooting him concerned looks now and then, but he wasn't pressing. It gave Kurt time to try to sort through what he was feeling. There was pride, of course, and awe, but buried deeper were darker feelings, like jealousy and resentment, feelings Kurt knew he had to try to suppress. He needed to be a supportive boyfriend when he got home later. He needed to be able to play the happy, excited boyfriend thrilled for Blaine's opportunity, not the jealous Broadway hopeful resenting how lucky Blaine had just gotten.

By the time they said their goodbyes and grabbed a cab back to Blaine's apartment, Kurt thought he had done a pretty good job of tamping down the jealousy. "So that was an unexpected turn of events before," he commented as the cab drove them across the city.

"Hm?" Blaine lifted his head from where it had been resting on Kurt's shoulder. "Oh. Yeah, that was pretty wild. Never saw that coming."

Kurt smiled encouragingly. "I told you you would be fantastic."

"You were right. Just like always," Blaine said, his smile interrupted by a huge yawn. He settled back against Kurt's shoulder.

"So what do you think you're going to do?" Kurt prompted when Blaine didn't offer more.

"Do?" Blaine repeated. "Oh, about the audition? Obviously I'm going to go."

"Of course. I meant about finding an agent and all that."

Blaine made a non-committal humming noise.

"I can ask Rachel. She had one for a while when she was auditioning for  _Funny Girl_. She'd know how to go about it."

"Sounds good," Blaine mumbled sleepily.

"If she can't help, I know a few of my NYADA classmates have ended up with some success. I could probably send them a facebook message. Or you know, Mercedes might have some contacts through her record company or something."

"Wes's family probably has some contacts. His dad knows everyone."

"Well, obviously, since he apparently knows Heather James. That's good, then. I think we'll be able to find someone."

Blaine made another humming noise.

"Where's Heather's card? You should probably call her tomorrow. Make sure she knows you're serious."

"Tomorrow's Sunday," Blaine grumbled.

"Phones still work on Sunday, Blaine. You don't want her thinking you don't want it."

Blaine lifted his head again. "She's the one who wants me."

"That doesn't mean you don't have to make any effort, Blaine. You never know when she'll find someone else."

Blaine sighed and let his head thunk back against the seat. "She said they've been auditioning people for weeks. I don't think she's going to happen to stumble on someone else in the next 24 hours."

"You never know. The theatre world is unpredictable," Kurt replied. "We don't want to let this go too long."

Blaine didn't reply, just shifted so he was curled against the seat more and let his eyes slide closed.

"We should also figure out what you're going to audition with," Kurt continued. "You'll probably need a monologue or something, and a killer song. I'm thinking…"

Blaine opened his eyes. "Kurt, I love you, but can we have this discussion tomorrow? I'm exhausted."

"Right, right. Of course. Sure. Tomorrow."

Blaine's mouth quirked into a sleepy smile. He blinked heavily a few times, clearly fighting sleep. "I think I'm also going to need to postpone the gratitude bestowment I promised earlier."

"Oh. That's okay," Kurt replied. He hadn't even remembered Blaine had promised that until just now, and he probably wouldn't have enjoyed it at the moment anyway. He was too caught up in trying to channel all his energy into helping his boyfriend succeed in his career.

"Thanks," Blaine mumbled, his eyes sliding closed again.

When the cab pulled up in front of Blaine's building, Kurt helped Blaine out and wrapped an arm around him to support him into the building. In the apartment, he pulled Blaine's jacket off his shoulders and hung it, then pulled the curtains on Blaine's bedroom windows while Blaine got ready for bed. Blaine was asleep within a minute of his head hitting the pillow, so Kurt pressed a quick kiss to his forehead before grabbing his laptop and heading into the living room. He had some research to do.


	52. Chapter 52

Blaine woke up at his usual time the next morning, feeling well rested and cheerful. Kurt was sound asleep next to him, so Blaine got out of bed carefully to avoid disturbing him. He grabbed his jogging clothes and dressed quickly, then let himself out of the house to go for a run. On his way home, he stopped and picked up bagels and coffee like he often did on Sundays, then ducked into a nearby bakery that Kurt had recently found where "the cheesecake had to be laced with drugs, it was so addictive," according to Kurt. It was a pretty insignificant gesture of gratitude after everything Kurt had done to get him ready for yesterday, but Blaine had to start somewhere. Maybe if he was lucky, by the time he finished showering, Kurt might be awake, and Blaine could get to work on the gratitude he'd promised yesterday.

Back in his apartment, Blaine slid the cheesecake into the fridge. He started to carry his bagel and coffee to the table, but stopped abruptly when he saw it was covered in papers. He set the bagel and the coffee on the counter instead and walked over to check out the table. It looked like Kurt had been busy. There were a few stacks of sheet music, one labeled with a sticky note that said, "Definites," another that said, "Maybes," and third that said, "Bold and daring but risky." There was another sheet of paper in which Kurt had scribbled down some names, email addresses, and phone numbers under the heading "Agents." A note along the bottom was addressed to Blaine and simply told him to check his email. Curious, Blaine grabbed his bagel and coffee and headed for the living room, where his laptop was sitting on the coffee table next to Kurt's. He logged into his email and found a message from Kurt with suggestions of several monologues, as well as links to a few forum posts with advice on auditioning for off-Broadway productions.

"That was fast," Blaine murmured to himself as he took a bite of his bagel. He started clicking on the links Kurt had sent, looking through the monologues.

When Kurt woke up a few hours later, Blaine was still on the couch, scrolling through monologues.

"You were busy last night," Blaine called as he heard Kurt's footsteps coming from the bathroom. "There's a bagel and a coffee in the kitchen for you."

Kurt appeared and curled up next to him on the couch a minute later. "What do you think?"

"I think you're amazing," Blaine replied, setting down his laptop and giving Kurt a smile.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I mean about the monologues. Do any of them strike you?"

Blaine shrugged. "I think it will help if I know what exactly I'm auditioning for first. Ms. James didn't really give me much to go on."

Kurt nodded. "Good point. Even more reason to call her today. You need to start preparing. It sounds like she wants to audition you soon." He took a sip of his coffee. "Did you have a chance to look at the sheet music? I don't think we need to know exactly what kind of role it is to pick a good song. I think our goal should be to highlight both how amazing your voice is and how emotive you are as a performer. I think the songs in the 'definite' pile would be perfectly in your range, but I figured you should look them over to see if you can emotionally connect with any of them. Why don't you go grab them and we can look through?"

Blaine frowned slightly. He understood this was an incredible opportunity, but this was not exactly how he had envisioned his day going. "Do we have to do that right now?"

Kurt looked up from his laptop, which he had pulled toward him. "Why not now?"

"Well, I need to shower, and…"

"Okay, go shower first, and then we can work on what you're going to say to Heather James when you call her," Kurt interrupted, turning back to his laptop.

Blaine sighed and headed for the shower. It looked like his plans of spending the day in bed with Kurt was going to be indefinitely postponed.


	53. Chapter 53

Though he wished it was under different circumstances, like perhaps for himself, Kurt was glad to finally have the opportunity to put some of his NYADA training to good use in preparing Blaine for his audition. On Sunday afternoon, he helped Blaine draft a set of questions for Heather James. Blaine had put her on speaker when he'd called, and Kurt had silently listened in and scribbled down notes, as well as additional questions for Blaine to ask. When they hung up, Blaine had an audition date set for the end of the week. Kurt wished they had more preparation time, but the circumstances were unusual. Heather James had seemed to understand that and had implied to Blaine that she and the others involved in the auditioning process would be pretty forgiving. "As long as you do what you did yesterday, you should have no problem," Heather had said.

Based on the information they'd gotten from Heather about the role, Kurt helped Blaine narrow down the list of monologues and songs to a few of each. Then they'd started talking about agents again. It had taken both of them far too long to remember that Blaine's brother was an actor. Blaine had called Cooper, who had talked to his agent, and by that evening, he had an appointment set up for the following day with one of Cooper's agent's contacts who represented several big-name Broadway stars and was accepting clients. Kurt sent a quick email to Isabelle asking if he could leave early the following day so he could attend the meeting with Blaine, then went back to rehearsing possible monologues and songs with Blaine.

The rest of the week passed in a whirlwind. Kurt had thought Show Choir Boot Camp had been intense, but it had been nothing compared to this week. Kurt started setting his alarm to get up at the same time as Blaine. While he ate breakfast, he listened to Blaine's monologue, offering suggestions and feedback. Over lunch, he would listen to the recording of Blaine's music rehearsal from the previous evening, listening for any flaws he had missed. When he got home, he would run through it all again with Blaine, plus practice some basic choreography, until he fell into bed, exhausted.

Friday morning, the day of the audition, Kurt got up even earlier than usual. He wanted to do something special for Blaine, since he wouldn't be able to actually go to the audition. Unfortunately, he and Blaine had been up late last night, going over everything extra times to make sure it was as perfect as it could be, so Kurt knew he would be a zombie at work today. It was all worth it, though, to see the delighted and surprised expression on Blaine's face when he woke up to find French toast, his favorite breakfast food, on the table. The grateful kiss he had bestowed on Kurt before Kurt left for work hadn't hurt, either, though it did remind Kurt briefly that Blaine had never fulfilled his promise to show him how grateful he was for Kurt's help with the wedding, which then had Kurt wondering when the last time they had had sex was.

Throughout the morning, Blaine live-texted Kurt as he got ready for the audition, which went a long way to keeping him awake. During his usual lunch break, Kurt ate a quick sandwich before calling Blaine to check in. They talked until the end of Kurt's break, which was about when Blaine had to leave for his audition anyway. "We'll celebrate later," Kurt promised as they got ready to hang up.

Blaine laughed. "Celebrate what? This is just a preliminary audition. I probably won't know anything afterwards."

"It's your first big audition, Blaine. I don't really care about the outcome. We're celebrating."

Blaine's laugh echoed through the phone. "I'm not on speaker or anything, am I?"

"No," Kurt replied.

"Could this celebration include sex?" Blaine asked, his voice still getting quieter despite the fact that he couldn't be overheard.

"Hell yes," Kurt answered quickly. "I was just thinking this morning how I can't remember the last time we… had that opportunity," Kurt finished, carefully choosing his words to make sure they weren't overheard.

"That means it's been too long," Blaine replied.

"Definitely," Kurt answered. "But for now, you need to go dazzle some people, and so do I."

Blaine laughed again. "I love you," he said, his tone soft and intimate.

"I love you too," Kurt replied. "Break a leg and all that jazz."

Blaine made a kissing noise before disconnecting. Kurt went back to his desk and tried to get some work done, but he kept incessantly checking his phone for any updates from Blaine. When the end of the workday came and he still hadn't heard from Blaine, he started to get concerned. The audition should have been over hours ago.

As Kurt walked out of the building, he tried dialing Blaine's number. It went straight to voicemail. He turned off his phone and turned it back on, just in case his phone had flaked out somehow and made him miss the text. Still nothing. Since he was approaching the subway station and would lose service soon, he decided to send a quick text. "How'd it go? Everything okay? On my way home. See you soon?" There was no response in the few minutes Kurt waited for the train, and then he lost service.

When he got out of the subway station, he had a voicemail from Blaine. He anxiously dialed his voicemail box and punched in the code to access the message. "Kurt. Kuuuuuuuuuurt.  _KURT_. I'm on my way home now. I can't… you'll never believe… I'll see you at home. I have so much to tell you. KUURRRRT!" The message ended there, but Kurt could tell it had gone well. Blaine only repeated his name a million times like that when he was at a total loss for words, which only seemed to happen when Blaine was drunk, having sex, or really excited.

Kurt had just taken off his shoes and was heading to the bedroom to drop his bag when the apartment door burst open. Kurt barely had time to process before Blaine's arms were around him, lifting him off the ground and spinning him in a circle.

"I guess it went well?" Kurt laughed as Blaine set him back on his feet.

Blaine leaned in and gave him a loud, smacking kiss. " _KURT_ ," he drawled, then leaned in and gave him another kiss. Then he pulled back, beaming. "Kurt. I got the part." He leaned in for one more kiss before repeating, "Kurt, I got the part!"


	54. Chapter 54

Blaine was pretty sure that even if he wasn't so overwhelmed himself, he couldn't have interpreted all the emotions that flashed across Kurt's face, they flashed through so quickly. As it was, he was barely keeping himself together, so he couldn't possibly decipher Kurt right now.

Kurt's face finally settled into a confused expression. "I thought this was just a preliminary audition." He crossed the apartment and shut the front door that Blaine had left open in his excitement.

Blaine shimmied along behind Kurt to the door. "It was! At first! But they loved me so much, they asked me to just stay and read some scenes from the play, and sing one of the solos, and then as soon as I finished, they asked me to wait a few minutes, and they went and discussed and then came back and offered me the part! And I guess they're a little desperate because I guess they were actually planning on doing the preview at the end of April, but they had to push it back because they couldn't find anyone, so they want me to start right away, and KURT! I GOT THE PART!"

Kurt perched on the edge of the couch. Blaine skipped over and sat down next to him for about ten seconds, then bounced back up and started dancing around the living room when he realized he couldn't sit still. "I'm going to be in a play, I'm going to be in a play, I'm going to be in a play," he sang as he twirled around in circles.

When he got too dizzy, he flopped back on the couch and let his head fall onto Kurt's lap. "I'm going to be in a play!" he said, looking at his boyfriend upside down.

"So I heard," Kurt intoned sarcastically.

Blaine rolled to a sitting position. "You don't seem very happy or excited for me," he observed, noting the stiffness of Kurt's posture and the neutral expression on his face.

"No, no, of course I am!" Kurt protested. "I'm just surprised, that's all. I didn't expect to have so much to celebrate tonight."

Blaine leaned forward to kiss Kurt quickly, then leapt back off the couch and started shimmying toward his messenger bag. "Speaking of celebrations…" he bent over and pulled out a bottle of champagne "…look what I bought! The expensive kind!"

Kurt smiled. "Perfect. Why don't you order some take-out, my treat, while I get out of my work clothes, and then you can tell me all about it?" he asked, standing up and heading for the bedroom.

Blaine carried the bottle of champagne toward the fridge to chill. "How do you feel about pizza and champagne?" he called down the hall.

"Sounds great!" Kurt's voice shouted back.

When the pizza arrived 20 minutes later, Kurt insisted on serving it on Blaine's fanciest plates. He even dug into the back of Blaine's cabinet and pulled out the fancy crystal champagne glasses that Cooper had left behind, the ones he had no idea how Cooper had acquired in the first place. Sometimes with Cooper, it was better not to know.

A few hours later, Blaine was curled up on the couch, feeling happy and light and floaty. Kurt had Blaine's feet in his lap and was rubbing them. "This champagne is so good," Blaine slurred as he took another sip. "When we're both award-winning Broadway stars, we're drinking this at every meal. All the time. Expensive champagne for everyone."

Kurt's mouth twitched in a grin. "That sounds dangerous for our livers."

"We'll be rich and successful actors. We can just buy new livers," Blaine replied. He downed the rest of his champagne, then held out his glass.

Kurt picked up the champagne and refilled Blaine's glass. "That's the last one," he said as he emptied the bottle.

Blaine immediately took a sip. "This champagne is so good," he repeated. "Your foot rub is so good.  _You're_ so good." Then he giggled. "In bed," he added.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "You're so drunk," he replied, an amused expression on his face.

"I'm not drunk!" Blaine argued. "I've only had…" he paused to count on his fingers "…one, two… three… four glasses of champagne!"

"Five," Kurt corrected, nodding over at the glass he'd just filled.

"I haven't had this one yet," Blaine said as he drank half of it.

"Four and a half, then," Kurt conceded.

Blaine giggled and finished the glass. "Five!" he cheered.

Kurt reached over and took the glass out of Blaine's hand. Then he gently lowered Blaine's feet to the floor. "Alright, killer. Let's get you to bed while you're still mobile."

"But I'm not tired!" Blaine protested.

Five minutes later, Blaine was in his pajamas, tucked into his bed, sound asleep.


	55. Chapter 55

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut ahead.

"What do you know about contracts?" Blaine asked Kurt when he woke up the next morning. Blaine was lounging on the bed beside him, peering at his laptop, a look of intense concentration on his face.

"I know that I've never had one," Kurt replied, his tone not as teasing as he would have liked.

Luckily, Blaine didn't pick up on it. "I don't think I know what half these words even mean, never mind what they mean in a sentence."

Kurt sat up slowly. "Don't you have a shiny new agent for this kind of stuff?" he asked as he stretched.

"I do, and I'm meeting with him this afternoon, but I wanted to try to understand it myself."

Kurt stood and started for the bedroom door. "But then what will your poor agent do?"

"Shower me with praises and hand me a pen?" Blaine offered.

"You're paying him an awful lot for that. I can do that for free," Kurt said, changing his course to swing closer to the bed so he could place a quick kiss on Blaine's head.

He intended to keep moving toward the bathroom, but Blaine quickly closed his laptop and used his hands to grasp Kurt's hips. "Mm. I'd prefer you hand me something that has a few more letters than the word 'pen,'" he murmured, swinging around so his legs dangled off the edge of the bed.

Kurt laughed as Blaine pulled Kurt toward him. "That barely made sense."

Blaine slid his hands up, dragging Kurt's shirt a little with it. He nuzzled his face along Kurt's abdomen. "Cut me some slack. I'm desperate." He licked his way across Kurt's bare skin, just above the waistband of Kurt's pajama bottoms, while simultaneously letting his hands slide back down Kurt's sides to tug at the pajamas.

Kurt moaned and stepped closer as Blaine slowly began pulling down his pants, laving each area of newly uncovered skin with his tongue but completely avoiding the one area Kurt most wanted him to touch. Kurt rocked his hips forward a little in encouragement, but Blaine ignored him and continued exploring Kurt's hips and the tops of his thighs. When Blaine had lowered Kurt's pants to his knees, he let go, and they dropped to the floor with a soft swish. Then Blaine started working his way back up Kurt's knees, still ignoring Kurt's needy hip thrusts. When he reached the top of Kurt's thighs, he finally started moving inward, and Kurt whimpered in anticipation. Instead of slipping his mouth over Kurt's shaft, as Kurt expected, he circled around and mouthed each of Kurt's balls in succession, swirling his tongue around their circumference. Kurt moaned in slight frustration, but Blaine just repeated the action several more times, taking Kurt closer to the edge without giving him the satisfaction he really craved. Just when Kurt was about to grab Blaine's hair and tug to get his attention, Blaine finally turned his head and captured Kurt's penis in his mouth. He hollowed his cheeks and sucked gently, and Kurt thrust forward into Blaine's warm, wet heat, wanting and needing more. Blaine's amber eyes met Kurt's as he slowly pulled off, dragging his tongue along Kurt's length as he went, and Kurt tangled his hands in Blaine's untamed morning-wild curls, craving more connection.

Blaine's eyes stayed locked on Kurt's as he encased Kurt's penis again, sucking a little harder this time but maintaining his slow, languorous pace. He pulled back slowly, this time pausing with just the tip of Kurt's shaft in his mouth to run his lips around the head before sinking back down. Kurt's moans intensified as Blaine continued, each time increasing the pressure a little more. After a few more strokes, Blaine slid his hands around to cup Kurt's ass.

"Blaaaaine," Kurt groaned as his boyfriend gently squeezed his ass.

"Mm?" Blaine hummed around his penis, the vibration resonating through his entire length.

"Oh god. I'm so close," Kurt said as Blaine pulled back again, this time letting his teeth lightly scrape along Kurt's cock.

Blaine started to move forward again, his tongue swirling along Kurt's penis to tantalize the areas he had just sensitized with his teeth. He drew Kurt even deeper into his mouth, until Kurt's entire length was encased. At the same time, he let his hands drift closer to Kurt's hole, his fingers deftly teasing along the line of Kurt's ass. Just as he began to suck hard, he played his fingers around the rim of Kurt's hole. The combination of sensations was too much, and Kurt exploded into Blaine's mouth. Blaine swallowed, then pulled off Kurt and used his tongue to lick him clean.

When Blaine had finished, Kurt reached down and grabbed the bottom of Blaine's T-shirt and pulled it over Blaine's head. He pushed gently on Blaine's shoulders, forcing him onto his back. After kicking his pants off his ankles and yanking off his own shirt, Kurt lowered himself on top of Blaine and pressed a deep kiss against his mouth, tangling his tongue with Blaine's. He was just about to start removing Blaine's pants when his bladder reminded him of his earlier intended destination. He wrenched his mouth away from Blaine's long enough to curse. "I have to pee," he announced. "Hold on. I'll be right back. Hold that thought."

"I'm not going anywhere," Blaine replied as Kurt dashed as quickly as possible out the door.

When Kurt returned, there were a few differences to the scene he had left. For one, Blaine had moved his laptop to the nightstand. Blaine had also removed the rest of his clothes, and in true Blaine fashion, had folded them carefully and tucked them on top of the dresser. In addition, Blaine had settled back more comfortably on the bed so that he was sprawled across the mattress instead of perched on the edge. As Kurt stepped into the room, Blaine held up his arms in invitation, and Kurt darted back across the room and climbed back onto the bed. He swung one leg over Blaine's hips and straddled him. Blaine arched up to meet him as Kurt bent toward him and plunged his tongue into Blaine's mouth.

Unlike Blaine's blow job, which had been tortuously slow and deliciously agonizing, this was rushed and fast and frantic. Blaine's hips rocked up into Kurt's, desperately seeking contact and release. Despite his earlier orgasm, Kurt's penis was rapidly hardening, each stroke of Blaine's cock against his adding to his excitement.

Their mouths were coming together over and over, and their hands were rushing over each other's bodies, as if they were both seeking as much physical contact as possible. Between kisses, Blaine was keeping up a litany of praises. "So good, Kurt… taste so good… so hot… so gorgeous… so sweet… right there… yes, more, yes, yes… want you so much… love you so much…"

When Blaine was starting to get close, Kurt abruptly pulled off. "No, no, come back, come back," Blaine immediately complained.

Kurt leaned down to kiss him in reassurance, but kept his body off Blaine's. "I was thinking… maybe…" he said, using one finger to lightly trace along Blaine's abdomen, around his penis, and toward his ass, "we could try…"

Blaine immediately figured out what Kurt was suggesting. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" he agreed enthusiastically, trying to roll toward the nightstand to grab the necessary supplies, but crashing into Kurt instead.

"I've got it," Kurt said with a short laugh, turning and pulling out lube and a condom.

Blaine settled comfortably onto his back, drawing his legs up and spreading them wide. Kurt shifted to kneel between his legs. He quickly rolled the condom on, then poured lube onto his fingers. As he eased one finger inside of Blaine, he stretched over him and gave Blaine a deep, wet kiss. He felt Blaine moan into his mouth.

"More," Blaine said against his lips. Kurt added another finger and started trailing his lips across Blaine's jaw and down his neck. When he reached the junction of Blaine's neck and collarbone, he softly sucked the skin into his mouth. Blaine writhed beneath him. "More," he moaned again. Kurt slipped another finger in, curling them up to stroke Blaine's prostate. Blaine made a noise of approval, so Kurt repeated the action.

"Now, Kurt, please," Blaine begged.

Kurt pushed one more finger inside, but Blaine shook his head. "Now, Kurt," he said more forcefully.

"Okay, okay," Kurt conceded. He sat back on his legs, gave himself a few quick strokes, and then positioned himself at Blaine's entrance.

Blaine groaned as Kurt slowly entered him. "Faster," he immediately demanded.

Kurt chuckled. "A little anxious?" he teased.

"It's been forever," Blaine replied dramatically.

Kurt couldn't argue with that. He pulled back, then pushed back in more quickly this time.

Blaine hissed out a curse. "More, please."

Kurt laughed at Blaine's incongruous politeness, then groaned as he sank back in. Blaine's tight heat felt so good, encasing him and surrounding him, that Kurt soon found himself close to the edge again. While Blaine seemed to be enthusiastically enjoying himself, he was lasting a surprisingly long time. Kurt wanted to make sure Blaine finished first before Kurt came again, so he grabbed the bottle of lube and dribbled more on his hand before reaching down and grasping Blaine's penis.

"Kuuuuuurt," Blaine moaned, long and slow.

Kurt pumped his hand up and down Blaine's cock in time with his thrusts. Blaine's noises started getting more desperate, which meant he was getting close. Kurt increased the pressure of his hand and the speed of his movements. "So close, so close, so close," Blaine chanted.

Kurt reached over Blaine and grabbed a pillow from the bed. He nudged at Blaine's hip until Blaine lifted them, and Kurt shoved the pillow beneath him. The new angle made it so that each stroke of Kurt's penis hit Blaine's prostate. When Kurt resumed his stroking, Blaine exploded with a cry into Kurt's fist. With a few more strokes, Kurt followed him over the edge.

As Kurt collapsed forward onto Blaine, Blaine pulled the pillow out from under his hips and wrapped his arms around Kurt's sweaty back, cradling him against his chest. After a few seconds of recovery, Kurt finally regained enough control of his body that he rolled off of Blaine and tucked himself into Blaine's side, settling his head into the crook of Blaine's neck.

"It's been so long, I'd almost forgotten how good that is," Blaine commented, his fingers tracing feather-light patterns on the back of Kurt's shoulder.

"There's an easy fix for that," Kurt replied, nuzzling into Blaine's neck.

Blaine made a questioning hum.

"We don't go so long without sex," Kurt finished.

Blaine rolled his head and looked over at the clock. "How's ten minutes from now? Too long?"

Kurt laughed and curled his leg over Blaine's, settling in to enjoy the cozy intimate haze of post-coital cuddling.


	56. Chapter 56

As much as he wished it, Blaine couldn't just stay in bed with Kurt all day. He unfortunately had a meeting scheduled with his agent to go through his new contract early in the afternoon, so far sooner than he liked, he was pulling away from Kurt and heading for the shower.

When he returned to the bedroom, he found Kurt sifting through his closet, clad only in a pair of loose cotton pants. Kurt turned when he heard Blaine's footsteps. "I'm picking you an outfit," he announced.

Blaine dropped a quick kiss on Kurt's shoulder as he headed to the dresser to grab some underwear. "Okay. Any particular reason why?"

Kurt held up a few shirts for Blaine's consideration. "It's a big day. You should look fabulous. Make a good impression."

"I already made the impression, Kurt. I got the job." Blaine pointed to one of the shirts, and Kurt set it on the bed and started looking for pants to go with it.

"Exactly, and who dressed you for that?" Kurt replied as he tossed a pair of pants on the bed too.

Blaine didn't respond as he pulled on the clothes Kurt had laid out. He headed back to the bathroom to fix his hair. After he had finished getting ready, he found Kurt in the kitchen. "Don't you want to eat before you go?" Kurt asked as he cracked eggs into a bowl.

"I don't think I have time," Blaine said apologetically. "Someone distracted me this morning."

Kurt gave him a cheeky grin. "You loved it."

Blaine beamed back. "Of course I did." He stepped closer to Kurt and gave him a lingering kiss. "I'll see you in a little while?"

Kurt nodded. "Go make it official, Mr. Off-Broadway Star."

Blaine gave him another quick kiss. "I love you."

"Love you too," Kurt replied.

Blaine reluctantly let go of his boyfriend's waist and headed for the door.

A few hours later, after his meeting with his agent was over, his head was swimming. Intellectually, Blaine had understood that he had gotten the part, but the reality of the situation hadn't really hit him until he'd signed the contract. There was so much he needed to do. He'd already talked to his boss about the situation before he'd auditioned, and they'd agreed that while he had to formally give two weeks' notice, Blaine could be flexible about his hours for the next two weeks and just come in long enough on his off time to finish up projects and help transfer them to other people in the lab. Blaine felt a little bad about leaving so quickly, but his boss had been pretty understanding. "I always knew this wasn't your dream," she'd said with a smile when Blaine had explained what was going on. Still, he needed to send her a formal letter of resignation now that he had the part, and figure out a loose schedule of his availability for the next two weeks.

Given the production team's desire to preview the show as soon as possible, his rehearsal schedule was going to be fairly grueling. Based on the theater actor's union guidelines, his actual hours at rehearsals were fairly carefully restricted to a reasonable amount, but that didn't include the amount of time he'd have to spend outside of rehearsal going over his lines, songs, and choreography. Blaine had about 5 weeks to learn an entire show, so it was going to take up any time he wasn't spending in rehearsals, costume fittings, or at the lab.

Then there were the minor but still important items on his to-do list, like sharing the news. Blaine definitely owed Cooper a phone call, both to thank him for the help with finding an agent and to update him on the exciting news. He should also tell Wes, although maybe he would wait a few more days until Wes got back from his honeymoon. Sam would want to know too, and David deserved a call. And of course, there was the phone call he was dreading – the one to his parents, in which they'd probably spend the whole time making disparaging, disappointed comments about how he wasn't fulfilling his potential. Maybe he would save that one for last.

By the time he got back to his apartment, he had worked himself up into a pretty stressed frenzy. Kurt was sitting on the couch sketching when Blaine came in. "Hey, how'd it go?" he asked, looking up.

"Good," Blaine said, giving Kurt a perfunctory kiss in greeting and heading straight for the bedroom to grab his laptop. He wanted to call Cooper through Skype. This seemed like face-to-face kind of news.

Kurt scrambled off the couch and followed him. "Good? That's it? Just good? You signed your first big contract, and it just was 'good'?"

"It's just scribbling my name on some paper," Blaine replied dismissively. He grabbed his laptop and set it on the bed. "If I call Cooper in here, will I be getting in your way at all?"

Kurt looked slightly surprised as Blaine's abruptness. "Um… no, that's fine. I'll just be in the living room, I guess."

"Thanks," Blaine called as Kurt left and pulled the door shut behind him.

A couple hours later, Blaine had successfully called Cooper, Sam, and David and was debating whether to call his parents or start looking at the script. His musing was interrupted by a short knock on the bedroom door before Kurt peeked in. "You've been in here a while. Are you hungry? I was thinking maybe we could have a night out on the town. Rachel and some of her friends are headed out to that new club tonight, and I thought maybe we could grab dinner somewhere slightly out of our price range and then join up with them to celebrate your big day. And then maybe later, we could come back here and… celebrate privately again, if you know what I mean."

Blaine glanced up quickly. "Oh. Um… you know, I have a lot to do. I have a few more calls I was going to make, and then I was thinking of reading over my script tonight. Rehearsal starts on Monday, and I'd really like to have at least some of my lines down by then."

Kurt's face fell. "Oh. Yeah, okay. Do you want me to help you out? I can hang out and read lines with you."

"No, no," Blaine said. "You go out and have fun with Rachel. I'm sure she'd love to see you."

"Okay. If you're sure…"

"I'm sure. Go enjoy yourself. You've earned it."

"Okay." Kurt hovered awkwardly in the doorway. "Do you want me to cook us some dinner first before I go?"

Blaine shook his head. "I'm not that hungry right now. I can just order in later. Don't worry about me."

"Okay. I guess I'll just take off then," Kurt replied. "Call me if you change your mind."

Blaine was already looking back down at his laptop, searching through his emails for the one from Heather containing the script. "Have fun," he said.

"You too," Kurt answered. A few minutes later, the front door opened and closed as Kurt left, but Blaine was so absorbed in the script that he barely heard it.


	57. Chapter 57

"I can't believe Blaine's going to be famous before us," Rachel whined from across the table. When she'd heard that Kurt was flying solo for the night, she'd canceled her plans with her other friends. "We never get to see each other alone anymore," she'd justified. For the first time in months, Kurt found himself at Warblers with only Rachel for company. "It's not fair."

Kurt made a noncommittal noise as he gulped down more of his margarita.

"It must be killing you," Rachel continued. "Having your boyfriend stumble into success when you've been training and working for it for years."

"What? Of course not!" Kurt hoped his face looked sufficiently outraged. "I'm proud of him and his success."

Rachel didn't look impressed. "Come on, Kurt. It's been your dream since we were in  _high school_ to star in an on- or off-Broadway show, and  _Blaine_ is getting to live it."

"And I'm very proud of him!" Kurt repeated.

"Uh huh," Rachel said, nonchalantly sipping her cocktail through a straw.

"Rachel," Kurt said, getting frustrated, "Blaine is my boyfriend. I love him. I'm happy for him. He's getting his big break."

"Before you," Rachel added.

"It's not a competition!" Kurt argued.

Rachel scoffed. "Of course it is, and he's winning."

Kurt rolled his eyes but didn't reply. Mostly because he wasn't sure he could keep pretending that Rachel wasn't voicing every dark thought he'd buried in the back of his mind. He'd tried throwing himself into helping Blaine through, but that didn't seem to have gotten rid of them. Kurt was hoping his new strategy of pretending the thoughts didn't exist until they disappeared might work. Didn't people always say to "fake it until you make it"? Well, Kurt was certainly faking it right now.

Rachel didn't seem bothered by Kurt's lack of response. She was perfectly happy to continue the conversation on her own. "Seriously. How many times have we performed in this bar? How many auditions have we gone to? How many showcases did we have at NYADA? And not once did anyone ever offer us anything. But Blaine just shows up to one wedding and bops around to some pop songs as a joke for his friend, and suddenly  _Heather James_  is casting him in her new show." She shook her head in dismay. "People in this town just do not understand true talent when they see it."

"Are you saying that Blaine's not talented?" Kurt asked.

"No, of course I'm not. He obviously has some skill. But it's clear he has not been professionally trained. Maybe if he had finished his schooling…"

"He did finish school!" Kurt protested.

"…in the performing arts, he wouldn't be so… rough around the edges," Rachel continued, ignoring Kurt's outburst. "But I guess that's our problem. Apparently you need to be an  _amateur_ to get Heather James's attention." Rachel pronounced the word  _amateur_ like it was a dirty insult.

Kurt didn't even have to fake his anger now. He may be jealous of Blaine's success, but he still recognized Blaine's tremendous talent. "Blaine is  _not_ rough around the edges. He's an incredible performer, and you just wish you had  _half_ his ability to connect with an audience. But that would require you actually being capable of having feelings that weren't all about you, so it's probably never going to happen."

Rachel's eyes widened in shock. "How dare you! I have plenty of feelings for other people, Kurt Hummel! In fact, I wasn't going to tell you because I didn't think you needed another thing rubbed in your face, but I guess I have no  _feelings_ , so I will tell you after all. I have a very promising call back for an audition for a TV show this week! It's down to me and two other girls for one of the main characters, and one of the producers confidentially told me that I'm their favorite!" She knocked back the rest of her drink before grabbing her purse. "Have a nice night," she spat as she headed for the door.

Kurt gulped the rest of his margarita and chased her out of the bar. Even though he was annoyed with her, he still wanted to make sure she got home safe. He followed her as she stormed down the street to the subway, then slipped onto the train with her. She glared at him as he got onto the train and deliberately sat at the opposite end of the bench with her back toward him. Kurt silently followed her all the way back to their apartment and waited until he saw the lights flick on inside before walking back to the subway and making the trek back to Blaine's place.

Now that he was alone, Kurt had time to process what Rachel had said. She might be getting a part on a TV show? They had always talked about how they would _never_ do a TV show, at least not at the start of their careers, but Kurt supposed that after all this time, Rachel was getting impatient. He couldn't really fault her, either. At this point, a break was a break, even if it wasn't in the medium they would have preferred. And now it looked like Rachel was pretty close to getting hers. Apparently everyone was getting their big break… everyone except Kurt.


	58. Chapter 58

Blaine knew calling his parents to fill them in on his exciting news would ruin his mood, so he'd saved it for as late as he possibly could before their bedtime. He'd crammed as much script reading as he could into the time before he called, since he knew he wouldn't feel very productive after the call. As he picked up the phone to dial, Blaine felt like he had done as well as he could to prepare for this.

When he hung up 15 minutes later, Blaine realized there had been a flaw in his plan: he'd sent Kurt out for the night. Calling his parents was like having his heart and soul pulled out of his body and being forced to watch as they made sure it was thoroughly destroyed and left for dead. So far, the most effective way he'd found to restore it was to cling to Kurt as tightly as possible, hoping some of the pieces of his soul would seep back from Kurt.

But thanks to Blaine's actions earlier, Kurt was out with Rachel, so Blaine would have to find something else to do to try to fix it. He desperately tried to remember what he used to do before he had Kurt in his life. Distraction was usually a good place to start, so he wandered into the music room. He played a few chords on the keyboard, and the effort to continue seemed exhausting, so he gave up. He shuffled down the hall to the living room and scanned his shelf of DVDs, but none of them tempted him. He headed for the kitchen and dug in the freezer for his emergency carton of ice cream, but after two spoonfuls he put it back. He padded to the bathroom with thoughts of running a bath, but after he turned on the faucet and watched the water just run uselessly down the drain for a few minutes, he turned it back off. He had jus shuffled to the bedroom to curl up in bed when he heard the front door open.

"Kurt?" he called in confusion. The clock on the nightstand read 10:45. Kurt shouldn't be home already. The early hour was the first sign that something had not gone well. The sound of Kurt's stomping footsteps echoing down the hallway was a second clue. If Blaine had had any doubt, the stormy expression on Kurt's face made it clear.

"Are you okay?" Blaine asked, sitting tentatively on the side of the bed. As much as he wanted to rush across the room and throw himself into Kurt's arms and beg for comfort, it was clear Kurt needed to vent.

"Rachel is a jerk," Kurt announced as he tore off his jacket and aggressively pulled a hanger out of the closet to put it on.

"What did she do now?" Blaine said soothingly, knowing Kurt only needed a little prompting before he'd just spill. They'd been through this before. At least once every two months, Kurt called Blaine or stalked into the apartment and announced that Rachel was horrible and he wasn't speaking to her anymore. It never lasted; eventually everything was forgotten and they both moved on. Blaine didn't completely understand Kurt and Rachel's relationship, but apparently it worked for them.

Kurt yanked his scarf off. "She's a jealous ass who tears down everyone else's success. God forbid she ever just be happy for someone or acknowledge that someone else deserves success too. It's all about her."

Blaine frowned as he put it together. "You two fought about me?"

Kurt's movements had smoothed out and slowed a little, though Blaine wasn't sure if it was because his initial anger had worn off or because he was just being more careful with his expensive designer shirt. "She was insulting you. What was I supposed to do, sit there and listen? Like, sure, you got a lucky break, but it's not because you're not talented. You're not beneath us because you didn't go to NYADA. You're not less worthy of success because you don't have a fancy degree. But she can't handle that she's spent years training and going to auditions and trying to make connections with anyone she can to get on Broadway, and you just passed her by, so instead she's trying to tear you down."

Something in the way Kurt was studiously avoiding eye contact with Blaine made Blaine suspicious. "Jealousy is a natural emotion," Blaine said softly, trying to use the opportunity to address what he suspected was an important topic for him and Kurt to discuss as well. "And she has a point. It isn't really fair that I got handed a dream role when you and Rachel have been working so hard for so long."

"That doesn't mean she has a right to insult your talent," Kurt replied, his voice muffled as he pulled one of Blaine's T-shirts over his head.

Blaine pulled his legs up onto the bed and reclined against the headboard. "No, but I don't blame her either. I know it must be frustrating to see someone else get what you want."

Kurt pulled on a pair of sweatpants before joining Blaine on the bed. He curled up next to Blaine and settled his head against Blaine's chest. "You're being too nice, Blaine. If you knew the things she said…"

Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt, grateful to finally have Kurt where he'd wanted him for hours. Already he felt the cold darkness inside his chest starting to dissipate. "Doesn't matter," he murmured. "Sometimes you just need an outlet. Maybe Rachel didn't pick the best outlet, but she's human."

Kurt huffed a noise of disagreement. "There's no excuse for her behavior. She could have found plenty of other outlets. You don't insult people just because it's frustrating watching them get everything you want. You deal with it like an adult."

Blaine didn't reply, focusing on slowly stroking one arm along Kurt's back to help calm him down. He waited until he felt some of the tension in Kurt's muscles start to disappear before he spoke again. "Can I ask you a question while we're on the topic?"

Kurt tilted his head toward Blaine's. "Of course."

"I want you to answer honestly, and know that I love you no matter what your answer is. The only reason I'm mentioning it is because I just want to make sure we talk about it, not because it's going to change how I feel about you at all."

"Maybe I should take back my agreement. You're starting to scare me," Kurt replied with a nervous smile.

Blaine gave Kurt a gentle squeeze of reassurance. He took a deep breath before asking, "Kurt… are  _you_  jealous?"

Kurt pulled away slightly to stare down at Blaine. "What? No. Of course not. What kind of horrible boyfriend would I be?" Despite the vehemence of his denial, his eyes couldn't quite meet Blaine's.

"You wouldn't be horrible at all. You're amazing, and you've been amazing, and I never could have gotten here without you. But it would be perfectly natural for you to have some feelings…"

Kurt cut him off. "Blaine. I'm happy for you. You deserve this."

Blaine lifted his eyebrows and eyed Kurt skeptically, but Kurt didn't budge. He knew he could and probably should push more, but he was tired. It had been a long day, and the last thing he wanted was a fight with Kurt. "Okay," he said. "Just wanted to check."

Kurt gave him a quick kiss before settling back against him. "How was your night?" he asked.

"Could have been better," Blaine answered, not in the mood to rehash his entire conversation with his parents.

"Why? What happened? Did your script reading not go well?" Kurt asked worriedly. "I can help you run lines tomorrow."

Blaine turned his head to place a kiss on Kurt's forehead. "No, it went fine. I just missed you," he said.

Kurt snuggled closer. "I missed you too. I would have much rather been here than dealing with the jerk formerly known as Rachel."

Blaine let out a soft chuckle and tightened his arms around his boyfriend. "I love you."

"Love you too," Kurt replied automatically, and the last of Blaine's darkness drifted away.


	59. Chapter 59

Kurt had lied to Blaine.

He'd never done that before. At least not when it had counted. There had been that time that Blaine had walked in on Kurt wrapping his Christmas present and Kurt had lied and said it was for his dad, but that wasn't the same. Blaine had just directly asked him if he felt jealous, and Kurt had lied to his face and said no.

But what kind of horrible boyfriend would he have been if he said yes? Blaine might have said he didn't care what the answer was, but Kurt knew that was naïve. If Kurt had admitted to being jealous of Blaine, it would have changed everything. So really, he had to lie, for the good of their relationship.

Unfortunately, telling himself that didn't seem to be helping anything. Blaine had been sound asleep for a while, but Kurt was still lying awake in the dark replaying their conversation.  _I had to do it,_ he told himself.  _And I'm working on it, so it won't be a lie soon._ He kept repeating that to himself until he finally fell into a fitful sleep.

A couple weeks later, though, Kurt was still working on it. No matter what he tried, he just couldn't shake it, and the longer it lasted, the guiltier he felt about it. Blaine didn't bring it up again, but that was mostly because he was so busy they barely had time to talk about anything. Blaine was at rehearsals for most of the day, then usually headed over to his old job for a few hours, then came home and stayed in the soundproofed music room until bed, running lines and practicing dance moves. Some days their most substantial interaction was Blaine whispering "Goodnight, I love you," before he fell asleep.

Once Blaine was finished with his old job, his schedule became a little less busy, but Kurt's started getting increasingly hectic. In addition to a promotion that led to increased responsibilities and projects in and out of the office, Kurt also found himself agreeing to design costumes for a local community theater run by a friend of Isabelle's who had seen some of Kurt's sketches and begged him to help. Kurt was actually having a lot of fun with it, but it was taking up most of his non-work time.

On top of everything else, Rachel called at the end of April to announce she had gotten the part and was moving to LA. She and Kurt hadn't spoken since their argument, but Rachel had apparently forgotten that. "Can you believe it, Kurt? I'm going to be on TV! And the best part is, the role actually calls for some singing! The world will finally get to see me for the star I am!"

Kurt feigned as much enthusiasm as he could muster, considering he was tired, overwhelmed, and still mad at Rachel. Fortunately, Rachel was so caught up in herself, she didn't seem to notice that Kurt's congratulations were a little flat. Kurt had put the phone on speaker and set it on the table while he edited an article for Vogue's website, mostly tuning her out as she rambled about how incredible she was going to be and how amazing the show would be thanks to her, but then something caught his attention.

"…and I'll call our landlord tomorrow and let them know we won't be renewing our lease. When do you think you'll be able to come get your stuff?"

"Wait, what?" Kurt said. "Get my stuff? You're throwing me out of the apartment?"

"Kurt, you don't even live here anymore anyway," Rachel replied.

"Of course I do! Most of my stuff is still there, and I'm still paying rent…"

Rachel cut him off with a scoff. "When was the last time you actually slept here?"

Kurt started calculating. "I think there was that time…"

"March 7th," Rachel answered.

"That can't be right. That's almost two months ago. Wasn't there one night…"

"March 7th," Rachel repeated more forcefully. "I wrote it down on the calendar."

Kurt frowned. "Why would you write it down?"

"Because I knew we'd have this fight eventually. Even if I wasn't moving to LA, I was going to have this conversation with you before our lease is up at the beginning of June. Now I just have a good reason to bring it up."

"We don't need to give up the apartment though. I can just find a new roommate to take your spot."

Rachel huffed impatiently. "Kurt. You don't live here. I'm not going to be living here. Therefore, we are getting rid of this apartment." Then her voice softened. "Look, I know you have issues about moving in with people because you think that's what ruined your relationship with Adam…"

"It did ruin my relationship with Adam!" Kurt protested. "It's not a coincidence that we broke up two weeks after I moved in with him!"

Rachel ignored him and kept talking as if Kurt hadn't interrupted. "…but I think you know, deep down, that you and Adam were never going to work out, and I also think you know that you and Blaine are very different than you and Adam. And I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you and Blaine have been living together since January, and you both seem to be doing just fine."

 _That's what you think_ , Kurt thought cynically, wondering how sustainable a relationship was when he was being slowly consumed with jealousy and couldn't remember the last time he had had an actual conversation with his boyfriend.

"Anyway, I have to go. I have a very busy schedule now," Rachel bragged, and Kurt rolled his eyes. He had been paying enough attention to have caught the fact that her show wasn't going to start filming until the end of July and she'd already found an apartment in LA, so he couldn't imagine that she actually had anything to do. But it was Rachel, so he didn't expect anything else.

"I'm throwing myself a congratulatory party soon. I'll let you know the details," she informed him. "Oh, and let me know when you're going to come get your stuff. I'll try to be here to help if I can."

Kurt rolled his eyes again, but he was careful to keep his voice neutral. The last thing he needed was another fight with Rachel. "Okay. Will do. Congratulations again."

A few seconds after he'd hung up with Rachel, Blaine wandered into the kitchen from the music room, where he'd been hard at work rehearsing. "Was that Rachel?" he asked, glancing over at Kurt's phone.

"Yeah. Apparently she got a part in some TV show and is moving to LA."

Blaine whistled as he pulled out a glass from the cabinet. "Wow. Good for her."

"Yeah, bad for me. She wants to get rid of our apartment."

Blaine filled a glass with water and joined Kurt at the table. "And that's a problem because…"

"Because I live there?" Kurt pointed out.

Blaine raised his eyebrows. "Do you really? Because I don't mean to sound rude, but it kind of seems like you've been living here for a while now."

"I told you! We aren't living together! It was too soon!" Kurt yelled in frustration.

Blaine held up his hands in surrender. "Okay. Sorry. It was too soon." He took a drink of water. "Can I ask when it stops being too soon? Because I would love to have you live here officially whenever you're ready."

"Well, it doesn't look like I really have a choice now, does it?" Kurt snapped.

Blaine reached across the table and rested his hand on top of Kurt's. "Kurt, of course you have a choice. If you're not ready to live together, we won't live together. I can help you find a new roommate if you want. Or a new apartment. Whatever you need, I'm here."

"No, you're not," Kurt muttered under his breath.

Apparently he wasn't as quiet as he thought, because Blaine's face tightened with pain. "Kurt, I know I've been busy the last few weeks, but you know you always come first, right?"

"Sure," Kurt replied dismissively, turning back toward his computer.

Blaine squeezed his hand to get his attention. "I mean it, Kurt. No matter what else is going on in my life, you are my number one priority. I get that I haven't been doing a very good job of showing you that recently, or maybe ever, and I'm really sorry about that, but you are the most important thing in my life."

"Thing?" Kurt teased.

Blaine gave him a small smile. "Person."

Kurt sighed, letting his anger out. "You and Rachel are right. I am basically living here. Might as well make it official, right?"

Blaine's smile didn't grow like Kurt expected it would. "Are you sure? Because if you're not sure, I can wait."

Kurt shook his head. "No, it's fine. It's silly for me to keep paying rent for some other apartment when I spend all my time here anyway."

This time, Blaine's smile did brighten. He picked up Kurt's hand and pressed a kiss to his palm. "Welcome home, love." He squeezed Kurt's hand gently before setting it back on the table. Blaine started to leave the room, but stopped at the door to the kitchen. "I'm going to go rehearse a little longer, but then I can take a break for the rest of the evening and we can grab some dinner, maybe catch up on some reality shows?"

Kurt smiled softly. "I'd like that."

Blaine grinned back. "See you in a few hours, roomie."


	60. Chapter 60

As opening day drew nearer, Blaine's stress level started to skyrocket. Thankfully he was officially done at his old job, but rehearsals were growing more intense, so any extra time he gained was spent frantically going over lines and songs, to the neglect of almost everything else in his life. He barely remembered to eat some days, his sleep was becoming more and more disrupted, and he certainly couldn't remember the last time he'd seen any of his friends. Blaine just hoped they were all as forgiving and understanding as he'd always thought, because he knew he was doing a horrible job of maintaining any semblance of a relationship with any of them.

Now that Kurt had officially agreed to move in, Blaine had expected at least that relationship would be easy to maintain, but somehow he saw Kurt even less. Kurt's new promotion was keeping him at work longer and later, and he was spending most nights back at his old apartment, packing up his old things and maximizing his remaining time with Rachel before she moved across the country. Blaine obviously couldn't fault Kurt for that, but he desperately missed Kurt anyway. Blaine knew it was ridiculous to miss his boyfriend when he was spending most of his time secluded in his music room, but the apartment seemed too quiet and empty without Kurt there. There was nobody around to debate dinner choices with, nobody to scold Blaine for using too much hair gel, nobody to make Blaine laugh with hilarious commentary on random coworkers Blaine had never met but felt like he knew anyway, and most of all, nobody to make him feel secure and loved as he cuddled close at night.

They texted as much as their schedules allowed, and Blaine, trying to be better about making sure Kurt knew he was a priority in Blaine's life no matter how busy it got, made sure to call Kurt every night before bed. Sadly, it wasn't much of a consolation for the real, physical Kurt, especially when Kurt was being oddly distant on the phone. It was subtle at first, so subtle Blaine didn't initially catch it. When he did finally notice and ask about it, Kurt just dismissed it as tiredness. Blaine didn't quite believe him, but he decided not to push it initially, deciding it would be a better conversation to have in person anyway.

When more than a week had passed and Kurt was still doing it, though, Blaine couldn't ignore it any longer. More accurately, he couldn't stand it any longer. He had just finished telling Kurt an amusing story about a costume mishap at rehearsal, to which Kurt simply hummed in acknowledgment. It was so unlike the Kurt he knew, who would have immediately replied with horror over something so terrible happening to such wonderful fabric. "Seriously, what is  _wrong_ with you?" Blaine blurted out without thinking.

"Excuse me?" Kurt replied, his voice higher in pitch than usual, a sure sign that he was offended.

Blaine immediately switched to a more soothing tone. "Sorry. What I meant was, you've seemed really… off lately."

"I told you, I've been tired. Work has been really hectic." Kurt's voice still sounded annoyed.

Blaine gave a short laugh of disbelief. "Work has been really hectic? Kurt, I'm premiering the lead role in a new Heather James musical off-Broadway in 3 weeks…"

Kurt scoffed. "Really? I hadn't heard," he muttered bitterly.

Blaine fought the urge to snap back, taking a deep breath before continuing. "What I'm trying to say is, I understand hectic schedules. Mine's hectic too, but I'm still _trying_."

"Are you saying I'm  _not_ trying?"

"Maybe," Blaine hedged, sensing he had already crossed into dangerous territory but unwilling to let it go. He had always valued the way he could communicate totally honestly with Kurt. He wasn't about to start lying now.

Kurt's response practically exploded through the phone. "Are you kidding me? I'm not  _trying?_ I'm  _busy_ , Blaine! I might not be playing the role of my dreams in the biggest show to hit the New York theatre scene this season, but I'm  _busy!_ I still have a job, you know. It might not be your fancy job, but it's still a pretty challenging one. And on top of that, my best friend since high school, who I've lived within 20 minutes of for the last 13 years, is moving across the country in a month, so I'm trying to actually spend some time with her before she goes. Oh, and in my spare time, I'm attempting to compress the last 9 years of my life and half an apartment into a few tiny boxes that will fit in the tiny bit of empty space in your closet. I'm sorry that I'm not  _trying_ enough for you, but I'm a little busy  _trying_ to do everything else!"

Blaine froze. He had no idea what to say to that. He opened his mouth to speak, but "Kurt…" was the only thing that came out.

Kurt ignored him. "You want to see me  _not trying_ , Blaine? Here. This is me  _not trying._ " Then the line went dead.

Blaine slowly pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it in confusion. As if on auto-pilot, he straightened the music sheets he had been looking at and carefully set them on his desk, shut down his computer, and turned off the light in the music room. Then he shuffled down the hall, set his phone on the nightstand, and collapsed facedown onto the mattress. Reaching blindly toward the headboard, he grabbed Kurt's pillow, pulled it to his chest, and curled himself around it as tears streaked down his cheeks.


	61. Chapter 61

Kurt hung up the phone and flung it onto his mattress. Why was Blaine being so  _unreasonable?_ Didn't he understand how much Kurt had on his plate right now? He was still trying to process his feelings about Blaine getting the job of Kurt's dreams, and now he also had to handle the fact that Rachel had also beaten him to her big break, plus he was about to lose the apartment he'd called home for the past 3 years, not to mention the huge monumental step of moving in with Blaine. And just as he had feared, the best relationship he'd ever had was already falling apart. It was the curse of cohabitation. As soon as people moved in together, their relationships fell apart. And now Blaine was accusing Kurt of  _not_   _trying_ enough? He had no idea how hard Kurt was trying to keep it all together!

Although it was close to Kurt's usual bedtime, he was too charged up to sleep. He decided it was as good a time as any to try to finish packing up some of his kitchen supplies. After grabbing a few empty cardboard boxes and some tissue paper from the stack in the corner of his room, he stalked down the hall and starting pulling plates out to stack them on the counter, slamming cabinet doors shut as he went. Kurt was so lost in his fuming, he didn't hear the footsteps in the hall.

"Kurt?" Rachel's voice was thick with sleep, but there was a distinct undertone of irritation. "Why are you stomping around the kitchen after midnight? Some of us are trying to sleep."

Kurt barely glanced at her as he started wrapping plates in tissue paper and stacking them in boxes. "Because you're giving me an impossibly inadequate month to pack up everything I own and move it across town."

Rachel huffed in annoyance. "Kurt, I have the same amount of time to pack up all my stuff and move across the country. You don't hear me keeping you up all night."

"Because you're not working a full-time job!" Kurt snapped. "Some of us don't have our days free to just leisurely wander around the apartment packing things. Or an entire team of expensive movers hired by our parents to come help us."

"Don't you blame me, Kurt Hummel! I offered to let you share them!" Rachel shouted.

"And have some strange men touching all my things when I'm not home and packing them so I can never find anything ever again?" Kurt argued.

"First you're jealous of my movers, then you hate the idea of them? Make up your mind, Kurt!"

On some level, Kurt knew he was being completely irrational, but he couldn't stop himself. "Just leave me alone, Rachel," he ordered.

Rachel stomped across the kitchen toward him. "Not until you stop making so much noise so I can get my sleep! I am an up-and-coming Hollywood actress, and I can't afford to have bags under my eyes!"

"For God's sake, Rachel, you don't start filming for almost three months!" Kurt was still methodically wrapping plates and placing them in boxes.

"You wouldn't understand, Kurt! You're not an actor!" As she shouted, Rachel reached out to grab Kurt's arm, trying to stop him from continuing to pack. Under normal circumstances, Kurt would have been able to easily shake her off, but after the night he'd had, Rachel's harsh insult threw him off, and he wasn't prepared for the grab. The plate he was wrapping slipped out of his hand and smashed onto the floor, shattering into a million tiny ceramic fragments.

"Now look what you made me do!" Kurt yelled as Rachel jumped back, trying to protect her bare feet.

Rachel was carefully tiptoeing back toward the hallway while Kurt stalked across the room to grab a broom. "I'm sorry, Kurt, but maybe now you'll stop."

Kurt looked up to give Rachel a dark glare. "Get. Out."

"Go to bed, Kurt!" Rachel shouted as she headed back toward her room.

Kurt leaned down and started sweeping up the broken plate into a dustpan. It took him ten minutes to sweep up all the pieces and dump them into the trashcan. When he was done, he surveyed the disaster in the kitchen. Haphazard stacks of plates covered all the counters. Tissue paper was scattered across the floor, and the boxes Kurt had been filling were packed so inefficiently that they would be completely useless to him. He would have to redo it all tomorrow. With a deep sigh, he sank down onto the floor and let his head fall back against the counter.

It had certainly been a fantastic night for Kurt Hummel.


	62. Chapter 62

Blaine wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but he woke up like clockwork at his usual time the next morning, still dressed in last night's clothes on top of the covers and curled around Kurt's pillow. His head was throbbing and his eyes felt puffy, a pleasant reminder of the horrible night he'd had and the way he'd cried himself to sleep. Groaning, he dragged himself out of bed in search of some aspirin. He went through his morning routine like a zombie, barely processing anything he was doing.

Blaine tried to make himself look as presentable as possible, but based on the slightly horrified expression Tina, the costume designer, gave him when he showed up for fittings, he apparently hadn't succeeded very well. Blaine automatically headed for the outfit hanging by the mirror, ready to slip it on while Tina made adjustments, but she stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Come here for a second," she said, pulling him toward a chair in the corner. As he sat down, she flitted about the room, pulling open drawers and lifting costumes. "I know it's around here somewhere…" she muttered. She let out a triumphant "Aha!" as she yanked a small make-up bag out from under a pile of fabric. She fished through the bag for a few seconds, then came back carrying a small tube of concealer and a small bottle of eye drops.

"Tilt your head back," she told him. Blaine complied, and Tina leaned over and held his eyes open. "They're just hydrating eye drops," she explained as she dripped a few into each eye. While Blaine blinked rapidly, Tina tipped his head back to its usual position. "Keep them closed," she instructed, squirting a little concealer onto her finger. Blaine felt her finger gently dabbing the concealer under his eyes. When he reopened them, Tina was leaning against the table behind her, surveying her work. "That's a little better."

"Thanks, Tina," Blaine said, tremendously grateful for her willingness to help without prying.

"Anytime," she replied with a smile, leaning forward to squeeze his shoulders in support. "Now let's get you fitted before my husband turns you into a sweaty disaster."

Blaine smiled and took the costume she held out for him.

Despite Tina's kindness, the rest of the day didn't go much better for Blaine. He kept messing up his choreography during the morning's dance rehearsal. Mike, the choreographer, was nicer and more encouraging than usual, likely due to a text from his wife, but Blaine still felt terrible about messing up. During the afternoon's scene run-throughs, Blaine was stiff and awkward, tripping over words and flubbing lines he'd had down for weeks. Heather and Artie, the director, were significantly less patient with Blaine than Mike had been, and Heather eventually threw up her hands in frustration an hour before rehearsal was supposed to end and kicked them all out. Blaine gathered his things and was on his way out when Heather caught him by the arm. "Whatever's going on with you… fix it," she ordered.

Blaine nodded and headed for the door, feeling sufficiently chastised. It had been completely unprofessional to let his personal life interfere with his professional life today, and Blaine was angrier with himself than anyone else was. As far as Blaine could tell, there was one clear solution: try to resolve things with Kurt. Instead of taking the subway that would take him home, he caught a train going in the opposite direction.

A half hour later, he was getting off in Bushwick and making his way toward Kurt's apartment. He started having doubts about a block away from Kurt's place. What if Kurt wasn't home? What if Kurt didn't want to see him? Why hadn't he gone home to shower and pull himself together first? This was such a bad idea.

Blaine started to turn back toward the subway to give up when he heard someone calling his name. Rachel was coming down the block, carrying a few bags of groceries and waving eagerly at him. "Thank God you're here. I'm so done trying to deal with him," she said as she caught up to him and led the way to the apartment. "He's completely lost it, and I have far too much going on in my life right now to deal with his juvenile temper tantrums. As a fellow successful actor, I'm sure you understand."

Blaine wasn't sure he would ever get used to Rachel. If there was one thing he had learned, though, it was that the easiest thing to do was simply not engage. She continued rambling as they walked up the stairs to the apartment, but Blaine just focused on figuring out what he would say to his boyfriend. He still hadn't come up with anything when Rachel swung the door to the apartment opened and yelled, "Kurt! You have a visitor!"

Any plans he might have had would have been useless anyway, though, because his mind went completely blank when Kurt appeared in the hall. He couldn't do much more than stare at his boyfriend, who he hadn't seen in two weeks. Kurt seemed just as overwhelmed, his blue eyes wide in surprise. The moment was finally broken when Rachel slipped past Blaine and stage-whispered, "Whatever happens, just promise me you'll take him home with you, because  _I can't take it anymore_."


	63. Chapter 63

Kurt glared at Rachel as she headed toward the fridge to stock some of her groceries. It wasn't worth wasting any energy on another useless fight with Rachel, though. He had much bigger priorities right now.

"Let's talk in my room," he said to Blaine, who was still standing in the doorway looking slightly shell-shocked.

Blaine nodded, and Kurt gestured for him to lead the way into Kurt's room. Kurt shot one final glare at Rachel, who just stuck out her tongue and continued unloading groceries, before stepping into his room and pulling the door shut behind him. Blaine was hovering uncomfortably by the foot of the bed, his hands toying with the strap on his messenger bag.

"You can sit," Kurt offered.

"Oh. Um… Yeah… I could… let me just…" Blaine looked around awkwardly at the boxes scattered along Kurt's floor as he shifted his bag off his shoulder. He finally settled for carefully and precisely placing it against the foot of Kurt's bed before shifting to sit on the mattress. Kurt waited until he was settled before sinking into his desk chair.

"Sorry I just dropped by. I should have called. I'm actually a little surprised you're home so early," Blaine said, his rapid talking and the incessant jiggling of his knee belying his nerves.

"I had an audition today, so I took the afternoon off work," Kurt explained.

"Really? What for? Why didn't you tell me? How did it go?"

"Let's just say I won't be getting a callback," Kurt replied.

"What?" Blaine looked outraged. "How could you not be getting a callback?"

"Because that's how it always goes," Kurt said, resigned.

Blaine's expression softened. "I'm sorry, Kurt. I know how frustrating it must be…"

Kurt gave a short laugh. "Do you? Because the last time I checked, you sang at a friend's wedding on a whim, and suddenly you were starring on an off-Broadway show." Blaine opened his mouth to reply, but Kurt shook his head and continued. "Ignore that. That was unnecessary."

Blaine pursed his lips. "Kurt, we should talk about that."

"No, we shouldn't," Kurt replied.

"Kurt…" Blaine urged.

"Blaine, I know you want to talk about it, but we have other things to talk about. And I know you want to keep arguing about it, but I am so, so tired of fighting. So please, can we save the little energy I have for what you really came here to talk about?"

Blaine nodded. "Okay." Kurt waited to see if he would say more, but he just stayed silent. It looked like he was ceding control of the conversation to Kurt.

"So… about last night…" Kurt started.

"Kurt, I am really sorry for what I said," Blaine interrupted, his eyes wide in an earnest expression. "I didn't mean to say you weren't trying. I know you have a lot on your plate right now, and I never meant to be an obligation. I was just worried about you, but I definitely didn't convey that correctly, and…"

Kurt held up a hand. "I get it, Blaine. You're sorry."

"But…" Blaine prompted, and Kurt was impressed that he noticed there was more.

"But I don't know if this is going to work."

Kurt thought he was braced for Blaine's reaction, but Blaine's total look of devastation was worse than he could have imagined. And he had spent quite a bit of time imagining – the whole previous night, in fact. Ever since his disastrous fight with Rachel, he'd done nothing but think.

Blaine finally recovered enough to speak. "This meaning moving in together? Because I can make more room in the apartment for you. I have all sorts of things I don't need. I'm not very attached to anything in the place. I can give up the music room – you can use the whole room as a closet. Or if you're not ready to move in together, I can just let you store your stuff at my place temporarily while we find you a new place." Blaine was talking about a hundred miles a minute, almost as if he thought if he talked non-stop, Kurt wouldn't be able to say anything more.

"I don't mean moving in," Kurt said when Blaine had finally paused for a breath.

Blaine's face fell again. "Kurt…" he said again, his voice sounding almost broken.

"Blaine… there is so much going on in my life right now… and there's so much going on in your life right now too… I just don't know that this is a good time for either of us to be trying to maintain a relationship."

"Kurt, we're always going to be busy, but I can assure you, again, that our relationship is my number one priority."

"Blaine, I know you say that now, but your show hasn't even opened yet and we're already barely holding on. It's not going to get any easier…"

Anger flashed across Blaine's face. "Don't speak for me, Kurt, and don't pretend like you're doing this for me."

"Fine," Kurt snapped. He took a deep breath, then continued in a calmer tone. "There is a lot on my plate right now, and I really just can't hold it all together anymore, and I am tired of fighting with you, and I am tired of fighting with myself, and I just can't do this anymore."

Kurt could see the tears welling up in Blaine's eyes. Kurt was pretty sure his eyes were probably a little shiny too, but he needed to hold this together. Blaine took a shuddering breath. "But… I love you."

Kurt's heart shattered into a million pieces in his chest, but he ignored it and powered on. "I know. I'm sorry. It's just not… enough."

Tears were openly streaming down Blaine's face now. "Isn't there anything I can do to change your mind?"

Kurt bit his lower lip, absent-mindedly wiping at the tears on his cheeks. "I'm sorry, Blaine."

Blaine looked utterly destroyed, and Kurt's internal voice was screaming at him to take it all back, to say he was wrong, to launch himself across the room and bury himself in Blaine's arms and never let go. Kurt ignored it. This was the right decision. Kurt couldn't keep letting his jealousy and bitterness about Blaine's success fester beneath the surface until it bubbled over and exploded. It was better to cut it off now than continue to erode at the foundation of their relationship until they both fell apart.

As Kurt watched Blaine slowly wipe the tears from his face, pick up his messenger bag, and leave the room, he just wished the right decision didn't hurt so much.


	64. Chapter 64

Blaine was sure he looked a bit worse for wear as he got back on the subway to head back to his place, but he was just proud that he managed to make it all the way home without a complete breakdown. Who knew his years of experience hiding his emotions and suppressing his feelings around his parents would ever come in handy again? It may have been the only skill Reid and Adriana Anderson had ever taught him. No matter what happened, Andersons put on a good face in public.

As soon as he stepped in the door of the apartment, though, he fell apart. He collapsed on the couch and sobbed, one phrase echoing in his mind, over and over and over again. " _It's just not enough._ " Years of bad memories of his parents' dismissals, his brother's inattention, and his ex-fiancé's betrayal all came rushing back. Blaine had never been enough for anyone. He wasn't sure why he'd deluded himself into believing he could ever be enough for Kurt. After hours of crying and sappy romantic comedies and far more ice cream than any one person should eat, Blaine finally dragged himself down the hall to his room.

The next morning dawned much like the one before. Blaine had at least managed to get into his pajamas and under the covers before he cried himself to sleep, but he still looked and felt horrible when he woke up. He once again tried to pull himself together as well as he could, but Blaine knew he had failed. Even though he didn't have a fitting scheduled with Tina that morning, he got to rehearsal early and knocked softly on the door of her workroom. She opened the door, took one look at him, and tugged him gently to the same chair as yesterday.

"I'm sorry," Blaine muttered as Tina fussed around him.

Tina finished smudging the concealer below Blaine's eyes. "You don't need to apologize to me."

"Yes, I do. And to Mike, and to everyone in the cast, and to Heather and Artie and…"

"Okay, don't get carried away," Tina interrupted gently as she stowed her supplies back in the makeup bag. "Trust me, whatever you think you did to all of us, you didn't do."

Blaine shook his head. "I did. I'm dragging my personal life into work. I'm letting everyone down. I'm ruining all the hard work everyone has put into this show."

Tina crossed the room to lean against the table in front of him. "Blaine, everyone has off days, and nobody can be a robot. You didn't have fittings with me at the end of last week, but you can ask anyone who did. I stabbed at least 3 people with pins because I was so distracted about my period being late, which is probably TMI considering we're not even friends, but anyway… the point is, we're all human. Trust me, everyone on this production thinks you're amazing. Mike can't stop raving about you and how quickly you learn choreography and how hard you push yourself. Lucia keeps insisting you must be lying about your background because she can't imagine how you're so good without having formal training, because she's a snob like that. Artie joins me for lunch all the time and tells me what a dream you are to work with and how fortuitous it was that Heather happened to be at that wedding. Even if you have a few off days, everyone will still love you. Especially if you keep those off days to rehearsals and not the actual show," she finished with a wink.

Blaine stood and pulled Tina into a hug. "Thank you," he said softly.

Tina patted his back reassuringly. "Hey, it's the least I could do for my favorite coworker."

Blaine let her go and laughed. "What about Mike?"

Tina shrugged. "Eh, he's alright," she said with a grin.

Blaine squeezed her hand in gratitude and started to leave. At the door, he paused and turned back. "You're a good friend, Tina."

She smiled broadly. "Does this mean I can tell you about my periods without it being TMI?"

Blaine grimaced slightly. "Um… I mean… if you really want to…"

Tina laughed at his expression. "I was kidding, Blaine. You know where to find me if you need anything."

Blaine nodded and waved, then headed for rehearsal, feeling a tiny bit better after his interaction with Tina. It was still a rough day, and he certainly wasn't at his best, but Heather didn't throw him out early, so for today, he would count that as success.


	65. Chapter 65

Rachel appeared at his door seconds after Blaine left. "Why did Blaine leave? Why didn't you go with him?" Then she narrowed her eyes. "Why are you crying?"

Kurt turned away, hating to be caught in a weak moment. "Just leave me alone, Rachel."

As Kurt should have expected, it had the opposite effect. Rachel came further into the room, grabbing some tissues from the nightstand and holding them out to Kurt. "Oh no, what happened?" she cooed, her anger apparently forgotten. "Did he hurt you? Do I have to hurt him? He's small. I could take him. Ugh, it's always the adorable, sweet, puppy dog-looking ones who are secretly evil. You know, I'm going to be a famous actress. I have connections. We could destroy him."

Despite the fact that Kurt felt like he'd just pulled his heart out of his chest and thrown it from the top of the Empire State Building into rush hour Manhattan traffic, he couldn't help but laugh weakly at Rachel's dramatics. "Rachel, I broke up with him," he said, dabbing at his eyes with the tissues she had brought him.

"What did he do?" Rachel demanded, and Kurt was reminded why he was friends with Rachel. For all her flaws, she was fiercely loyal.

"He didn't do anything. It was just the best decision for both of us right now. There's just too much on my plate right now, and I couldn't be the kind of boyfriend he deserves," Kurt explained, feeling the tears start to run a little more quickly.

Rachel rubbed his arm consolingly. "The noble, self-sacrificing hero," she pronounced. "A classic character in every love story." She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. "I'm ordering some take-out, and then I'm opening up a bottle of that expensive wine my dads bought us the last time they were here, and then you and I are going to sit on the couch and eat and drink and sing along to movie musicals that make us cry until we're hoarse. Now put on your comfiest clothes while I call in our dinner order."

Rachel was out the door before Kurt could protest, but he didn't particularly want to protest. The last thing he needed right now was to be left alone. All he would end up doing is giving into his weakness, calling Blaine, and begging him to come back and never leave. And that would be a mistake. Kurt had made up his mind. This was the right decision, and he was going to stick with it… no matter how badly it hurt.

Kurt slipped on his most well-worn "Hummel Tires and Lube" T-shirt and a pair of loose sweatpants and headed out to the living room before Rachel came in and dragged him out. She was just slipping  _Les Miserables_ into the DVD player as he sat on the couch. When she settled across from him, he held out his phone. "Do me a favor? Keep this away from me?"

Rachel gave him a soft look of understanding as she grabbed the phone and tucked it under the pillow behind her. As the opening to  _Les Miserables_ started on the screen, she looked over and said, "You can have Fantine's solos, if you want."

That was a huge concession for Rachel. Usually they fought bitterly over which one of them got to sing Fantine's parts, and it eventually devolved into a diva-off that ended in an argument that led to harsh words and slamming of doors, which was why they rarely watched this movie. Kurt was tremendously touched by the gesture, and he smiled at Rachel in appreciation. Rachel Berry may be many things, but sometimes, she was exactly the friend Kurt needed.


	66. Chapter 66

In some ways, Blaine got better about separating his personal life from his professional life over the next two weeks. He got better about compartmentalizing his feelings, so even though the heartbreak was still pretty unbearable, he was able to tuck it away better. To most of his coworkers, he probably seemed more like his normal self, full of smiles and cheer and energy. Few of them would probably suspect that his heart was broken into a million pieces.

There was one exception, and this was where Blaine's personal life and professional life were starting to blur: Tina. Even after Blaine had stopped crying himself to sleep a few days after the break-up, he continued his morning routine of getting to work a little early and stopping by to chat with Tina. He started bringing coffee for them both, and they'd talk and chat until Blaine had to get to rehearsal. Tina was becoming one of Blaine's closest friends. She'd already seen him at his most vulnerable, so Blaine found it hard to suddenly start imposing filters. Within days, Tina knew almost everything about Kurt and the recent break-up. She started bringing in food for Blaine, insisting it was leftovers that she and Mike were sick of, but Blaine knew Tina was worried he wasn't eating well. On their one day off each week, Tina always texted to check in, usually inventing some silly work-related question, but actually just taking it as an opportunity to make sure Blaine wasn't just wallowing in his apartment all day. Blaine wasn't sure what he'd do without Tina's subtle but aggressive brand of caring.

Wes had also found out about the break-up, though Blaine hadn't intended that to happen. On Blaine's first day off after the break-up, Wes had invited him out to lunch to catch up now that Wes was back from his honeymoon. Blaine had agreed, but when Wes mentioned Kurt and how Quinn was looking forward to having Kurt and Blaine over to the house, Blaine's face gave him away. Now he was getting regular emails from Wes with links to papers and book chapters about healing and to websites with self-care advice. Blaine hadn't read any of them, but he knew that was Wes's way of showing support.

As much as Blaine appreciated all the friendly support, at the end of the day, his heart was still broken into a million pieces. The love of his life had still told him that his love wasn't enough, and no amount of love from his friends could make that go away. Blaine still spent most of his evenings crying. The littlest reminder of Kurt could set him off, like seeing the empty space where Kurt's toothbrush used to sit on the sink or finding an old grocery list with Kurt's neat handwriting buried amidst Blaine's sheet music. He'd bawled his eyes out the day he came home to find Kurt's key sitting prominently on the living room table and the rest of his clothes gone. He still curled up at night on Kurt's side of the bed, his arms wrapped tightly around Kurt's pillow in a poor attempt to fill the emptiness in his heart.

At the end of two weeks, though, Blaine's ability to come home and wallow was cut abruptly short. He swung the door of his apartment open to find someone familiar sprawled across the couch like he belonged there.

"Cooper?" he said in surprise as he dropped his bag inside the door.

"Blainey! You're home!" Cooper called as he stood and clapped Blaine exuberantly on the shoulder. "Look at you. You look great! All that rehearsing has finally gotten rid of the last of that baby fat, huh? Your arms could use a little more work though, but I can recommend some exercises to help give you more definition. It's the key to being a serious actor. The arms are the most expressive of the extremities."

Blaine didn't even bother responding to that. "What are you doing here?" he asked a little impatiently, walking right past Cooper to the kitchen. It had been a long and grueling rehearsal, and all he wanted was to heat up the leftovers Tina had brought him yesterday, grab a shower, and fall into bed. He did not have the energy to deal with his brother's unexpected appearance.

"What am I doing here?" Cooper laughed, as if the idea that he wouldn't be welcome was a hilarious joke. He followed Blaine to the kitchen. "As if I wouldn't be here the week of my baby brother's big break! I mean, it's not a national commercial campaign for a big-name corporation, but some people have to start on the small stage."

Blaine rolled his eyes and pulled his dinner out of the fridge. "How did you get in?"

"This is my apartment, remember?"

"It's  _my_ apartment, Coop. You live in LA now, remember?" Blaine dumped the leftovers onto a plate and slid it into the microwave.

"Ah, but this will always be my first home. It's where it all started. I've already submitted the address for consideration as the setting for my future _E! True Hollywood Story._ " Cooper reached over and turned off the microwave. "What are you doing? We're going out to dinner."

Blaine reached over and reset the microwave. "Coop, I'm exhausted. It's been a long day, and you didn't give me any warning you were showing up, so I was just planning on a quiet night in."

Cooper reached over and switched it back off. He pulled the plate out of the microwave before Blaine could stop him and held it out of Blaine's reach. "Squirt, if you really want to make it big, you have to put yourself out there more. You need to make sure the paps catch you out at all the best places so your name is linked to everyone who's someone. Name recognition is everything in this business, Blainey."

"Coop…"

"Don't worry, Blainey. You'll have it easy. You're already linked to a big name star." He slid the plate, completely uncovered, back into the fridge.

Blaine sighed and pulled it back out to drop the leftovers back into the container. "Who?"

Cooper laughed again like Blaine had told a hilarious joke. "Me, of course, Blainey. Now shower up. You'll want to look your best for the paps."

Blaine groaned and headed for the shower. He didn't have the energy to keep fighting with Cooper. It was a pretty useless endeavor anyway, and in his last week before opening night, he needed to conserve as much energy as possible. Blaine just hoped that after a week with Cooper, he'd have any energy left for opening night.


	67. Chapter 67

Kurt was miserable. It had been two weeks since the break-up, and somehow it was hurting more every day instead of less. He was barely eating or sleeping, and no matter how deeply he tried to bury himself in work, he couldn't focus. On top of everything else, he was stressed about trying to find somewhere else to live within the next few weeks. Right now, it seemed like his only option was bunking in Santana and Dani's spare room, which was terrifying, since Santana had told him the room wouldn't come free, but had only cackled when Kurt had asked what she wanted in rent. Flashbacks of dressing up in a sailor outfit and singing the theme to the "Love Boat" were haunting the few dreams he was managing to have.

After two weeks, even Isabelle noticed Kurt's bad mood. The second Friday after the break-up, she called him into her office after lunch. "I say this with love, my dear: you can't be here anymore."

Kurt gaped at her. "Are you firing me?"

"Of course not. You're the only person in this office who appreciates a good broach as much as I do. But you are making everyone miserable right now, and I can't have that."

"I know. I'm sorry. It's been a stressful few weeks, but that's no excuse. I'll do better, I promise."

Isabelle walked around the desk to sit next to Kurt. "I have a suggestion."

"An optional suggestion or a required suggestion?" Kurt asked hesitantly.

Isabelle smiled gently. "A very strongly advised suggestion." She crossed her hands and placed them delicately on her lap. "I think you should use some of that time off that's part of the generous vacation allowance that came with your fabulous new contract and try to sort things out for yourself. Take a week to pull yourself together, do whatever you need to do. Come back when you're feeling better."

"But I can't afford to take time off right now. I have so many things going on right now with the transition to the new job…"

Isabelle reached forward and gently took one of Kurt's hands. "We'll miss you, Kurt, but we'll get by. It's a slow time for fashion right now. Everything will still be here when you get back. Take care of yourself first, okay?"

Kurt nodded slowly. "Okay."

Isabelle squeezed his hand gently. "See you in a week."

Kurt stood and left her office, then headed for his desk. While he wrapped up the projects he had been working on all morning, an idea formed in the back of his brain. A few hours later, he was dialing his phone while he walked out of the office. "Dad? I'm coming home. Can you pick me up at the airport tonight?"

To his credit, his dad didn't question. "Sure, bud. Send me the details and I'll be there."

Seven hours later, Kurt was walking through baggage claim in Columbus and into his father's open arms.

His dad was surprisingly patient about questioning Kurt's motives. For the next three days, Kurt caught up on sleep, spent time with his dad, and let Carole fuss over him. On Tuesday morning, though, Kurt's carefree vacation came to an end. Burt was sitting at the kitchen table when Kurt came down for breakfast. Carole had long since left for work, and Burt should have done the same. "Don't you have to open up the shop?" Kurt asked as he poured himself a bowl of cereal.

Burt folded the paper he had been reading and set it in front of him. "I've got guys who can handle it." He waited until Kurt was seated before asking, "So what's going on with you, kid?"

Kurt ate a few spoonfuls of cereal before replying. "I just needed a break. Work's been hectic since I got the promotion, and Isabelle though it would be good for me to take a little time for myself."

Burt shook his head. "Try again."

Kurt gave him a wide-eyed stare of innocence. "What? It's true! Work has been really hectic, and I've been trying to spend as much time with Rachel before she leaves, and there's the whole apartment situation…" Kurt trailed off when Burt clearly wasn't buying it. "Okay. Blaine and I broke up."

Burt nodded. "I kind of figured you had, since you haven't mentioned him at all since you've been home, and usually you can't stop talking about him. What happened?"

"Nothing," Kurt said. "We're both really busy with our careers right now, and it just seemed like the timing was all wrong…"

"Kurt, I've known you since the moment you were born. You can't lie to me, kid."

Kurt sighed. "Alright. Fine. I broke up with him. There was just so much changing and happening, and I just couldn't deal with it anymore. Blaine was busy with his amazing new dream job, and he wanted me to move in with him but I could barely handle being around him anymore without fighting with him because I was so irrationally jealous, and our relationship was doomed to fail anyway, so I just ended it for both of our sakes."

Burt frowned. "Doomed to fail anyway? Could've fooled me at Christmas with the way you two looked at each other."

"Moving in together is the kiss of death," Kurt explained. "No relationship survives that."

"Huh. You know, my memory's getting a little hazy as I'm getting older, but I seem to recall living with Carole for a while before we got married, and we seemed to have survived that just fine," Burt said, twisting his wedding ring on his finger. "I think I even got her to agree to marry me, if I remember right. Lived with your mom too for a time, and that seemed to have worked out, or you wouldn't be here."

Kurt made a noise of dismissal. "Blaine and I aren't you and Carole or you and Mom, Dad."

Burt raised his eyebrows. "Aren't you?"

"Our foundation wasn't very solid. We couldn't even survive Blaine switching jobs."

" _We_  couldn't, or  _you_ couldn't?" Burt asked gently.

Kurt stared down at his cereal bowl, idly pushing the soggy pieces with his spoon. "Okay,  _I_ couldn't. It was just too hard to watch Blaine luck into my dream job."

Burt leaned back in his chair and eyed Kurt steadily. "I didn't realize you had tried out for the same part."

"I didn't," Kurt replied.

"Why not?"

"It's a role for a tenor. It would never have done my range justice."

"So then it sounds to me like it's not your dream job."

Kurt opened his mouth to protest, but he realized he didn't really have a response. His dad had a really good point. As amazing as it was to be in a Heather James production, Kurt never would have wanted the role Blaine had gotten. Not that he thought it was a bad role… it just wasn't the role for Kurt, and it certainly wasn't a role that would have launched any sort of career for him the way it might for Blaine.

Burt took Kurt's silence as a cue to continue. "As far as Blaine 'lucking into' the job, didn't he spend three months practicing for his performance at that wedding?"

Kurt nodded.

"Sounds to me like he worked pretty hard for it, even if it wasn't the traditional audition preparation," Burt said.

Kurt felt ridiculous. Why hadn't he seen that before? He of all people knew how hard Blaine had worked to get ready for his performance at that wedding. Blaine had pushed himself harder than anyone Kurt had ever seen. Even before the wedding performance, Blaine had taken his music seriously. His Youtube channel that Kurt had loved so much was a testament to that. There was always a bit of luck to anyone's success, but Blaine had certainly put in a lot of effort in his own way.

As much sense as Burt was making, Kurt still couldn't shake the residual feeling of envy. "But how do I stop feeling jealous of him?" he asked softly.

Burt reached up and pulled the ever-present baseball cap off his head, pulling it with his hands as if to stretch it out. "Kurt, remember when you and Rachel both tried out for NYADA, and she got in and you didn't?"

"Of course I remember. I was so angry and upset about that. All of a sudden, my dream was gone, but Rachel still got to have hers."

"But look how that all turned out. You moved to New York, you found yourself an internship at Vogue that a bunch of people would probably kill for, and you still ended up at NYADA after all. If you hadn't gotten rejected from NYADA, you might never have ended up at Vogue, and you would probably just be working some crappy job while you were heading to auditions. Instead, you're lucky enough to have a job you love while you look for your dream job. Something I bet your friend Rachel was pretty jealous of while she was waiting tables and making coffee." Burt stopped toying with his hat and settled it back onto his head, tugging at the brim until it was in position. "Things work out differently for different people at different times, and it doesn't always make sense, Kurt, but you can't spend your whole life comparing yourself to other people. Other people's success is not your failure, and there's not only one timeline to success."

"But what if things never work out for me?" Kurt protested softly, voicing his deepest insecurities. "What if I spend my whole life in Blaine's shadow?"

Burt gave him a meaningful look. "You've never been in anyone's shadow, Kurt, not since the moment you were born. You shine too brightly for that. And I have faith in you, kid. You don't give up, and you'll get there someday. I've never doubted that."

Kurt picked up his napkin to dab at his wet eyes. "Thanks, Dad," he choked out, his voice thick with unshed tears.

Burt shifted in his chair. "Now, I can't tell you what to do about this moving in together business, but I can tell you that there's never a sure thing in relationships, Kurt. But it seems to me you already know what the hurt feels like. Maybe it's time to try the alternative."

Burt gave Kurt one last look, then cleared his throat and stood. "What do you say I make us some real breakfast?"

Burt crossed the kitchen and started pulling open cabinets. Kurt stayed in his chair and watched for a few minutes, his head spinning with everything his dad had said. It would probably take him a few days to process, but he felt more clarity now than he had in months. Picking up his bowl of cereal, he crossed the kitchen to dump it in the sink before turning and wrapping his arms around his dad. "Love you, Dad."

"Love you too, kid," Burt replied gruffly, holding Kurt tightly. He patted Kurt on the back as they pulled apart. "So… pancakes or waffles?"


	68. Chapter 68

As much as he hated to admit it, having Cooper around ended up being a great distraction for Blaine. Between final dress rehearsals for the show and putting up with Cooper, Blaine barely had enough energy left for wallowing. He still missed Kurt terribly, but he started to get used to the constant ache in his chest as just a normal part of his day-to-day life.

His growing frustration with Cooper was also a great distraction from his intensifying nervousness. With the biggest performance of his life just days away, Blaine was terrified that his stage fright would come back with a vengeance. He had a recurring dream in which he went out on stage on opening night, and the spotlight hit him, and he froze like a deer in headlights. If Kurt were here, he would hold Blaine tightly and whisper reassurances and play with Blaine's curls in that soothing way that reminded Blaine of the distant past, when he would have nightmares and his mom would tiptoe in his room and calm him back to sleep in a rare display of affection. But Kurt wasn't here, so Blaine was left with the poor substitute of Cooper's attempts at bonding and Blaine's resulting exhaustion.

Cooper was trying, though. Blaine could at least appreciate that, even if Cooper's methods were maddening. Cooper slept later than Blaine in the morning, so as long as Blaine was quiet as he tiptoed past the couch where Cooper was sleeping, he was spared any early morning acting tips. At night, though, when he was exhausted after full days of rehearsals and fittings and last-minute choreography changes that Mike made him run through a million times, Blaine wasn't so lucky. Cooper was usually in full force, having spent the entire day plotting ways to "help" Blaine. One day it was an "amazing energizing smoothie" Cooper had learned about from a yoga instructor slash aspiring actress who'd been an extra on the soap opera Cooper worked on. It had made Blaine gag, tasted like sour grass, and left a mess in the kitchen that had taken Blaine an hour to clean up. Another night, Cooper somehow managed to find a copy of Blaine's script and spent hours demonstrating how he thought Blaine should do the scenes, repeating them until Blaine fell asleep on the couch. On Wednesday, two days before opening night, Cooper presented Blaine with a hideously flamboyant outfit and insisted Blaine put it on and practice his "morning show interview routine" for his "inevitable brushes with the press." Blaine went to sleep dreading Thursday; Heather had a policy of giving the cast and crew the day off before opening night, insisting that they all rest their voices and their bodies to be in "perfect shape" for the big night. As much as Blaine appreciated the gesture, he wasn't relishing the idea of being home all day with Cooper. He was terrified to see what sort of acting tips Cooper would attempt when he had a full day to work with.

Blaine snuck out to the kitchen and grabbed breakfast as early as possible on Thursday morning and then crept back to his room, hoping to avoid Cooper as long as possible by pretending to be asleep. He stayed in bed as long as possible, marathoning Netflix shows with his headphones on, but eventually, he had to use the bathroom and couldn't put it off anymore. He knew Cooper was awake, because he'd heard the shower running a while ago, but he had the volume on his headphones loud enough that he couldn't hear Cooper moving around the apartment, so he wasn't quite sure where he was. He could only hope that Cooper was watching TV really loudly or intensely distracted in the kitchen and wouldn't notice that Blaine was up and moving around.

Opening his door as quietly as possible, he listened to see if he could figure out where Cooper was before he made his dash to the bathroom. When he heard Cooper talking non-stop, he assumed Cooper was on the phone with some poor unfortunate friend or coworker, so he darted to the bathroom as quietly as possible, since it seemed safe. It was only when he was on his way back to his room that he actually caught some of the words Cooper was saying.

"…but too many people underestimate the value of pointing, but it adds so much emphasis. That's the key, Kurt! See how much bolder that statement seemed? Pointing!"

As soon as Blaine heard the name, he ran down the hall to the living room. Kurt was perched in the corner of the sofa, looking overwhelmed and slightly uncomfortable. Cooper was standing in front of the TV gesticulating wildly while he lectured on the finer points of his acting technique. Cooper saw him first. "Blainey! Good morning!" he shouted, emphasizing each word with a point. Then he looked over at Kurt. "See? Pointing," he said more quietly.

"Blaine," Kurt breathed, spinning to look at him. His blue eyes were hesitant, as if he were unsure of his welcome.

While Blaine tried to process the fact that Kurt was here, in his apartment, Cooper happily filled the silence. "I was just letting Kurt here in on all my secrets to success. I don't usually do that for fans, but since he's a friend of yours, I decided to make an exception. And did you know he's an aspiring actor too, just like us?"

Despite the intensity of emotions pouring through him at Kurt's sudden arrival, Blaine had to smile a little at that. "Yes, I'd heard that," he teased Cooper, not able to tear his eyes from Kurt's face.

Cooper seemed completely oblivious to the tension in the room. "We were just going through the importance of pointing, but now that you're up, we can do some more intense character-building exercises. I've got some old scripts from past auditions in my bag somewhere, and we can go through them and practice dramatically reading your lines toward the camera." He turned to start sorting through his bag, flinging clothes into a disorganized pile on the floor while he muttered about the pages being in there somewhere.

"Want to talk in my room?" Blaine asked quietly, his eyes still locked on Kurt's face, desperately trying to read Kurt's expression.

Kurt nodded, and they headed down the hall to Blaine's room. Just as they were crossing into Blaine's room, he heard Cooper call out in success, and then yell, "Hey, where'd you guys go?" Blaine swung the door shut as quickly as possible and locked it behind them.

Kurt was hovering tentatively at the base of Blaine's bed, and Blaine had a flashback to three weeks earlier when their roles had been reversed in Kurt's apartment. He could only hope this conversation would go better than that one had.

"I'm sorry. I should have called or texted or something first. I didn't realize you had company," Kurt said.

Blaine sat on the bed near the headboard and gestured for Kurt to sit as well. "It's fine. I wasn't supposed to have company anyway. Coop just… showed up."

"He's exactly how you described him," Kurt said, settling as far away from Blaine as possible at the foot of the bed.  _Not a good sign_ , Blaine thought. "But I can tell he really loves you."

"Yeah, almost as much as he loves himself," Blaine quipped, and they both laughed, which helped break some of the tension.

"He's trying, though," Kurt observed.

"I know," Blaine conceded. "I know he is."

Kurt nodded, then bit his lower lip. "You're probably wondering why I'm here." He took a deep breath and looked at Blaine, and Blaine saw the shiny reflection of unshed tears. "I came to apologize. I never should have said what I said a few weeks ago. I was… wrong, and… horrible, and… and… jealous, and did I mention horrible? And I just couldn't cope, and I tried to bottle it up instead of talking to you about it, and that just made it worse, until I was convinced that the only option was to break up with you, but then I was so miserable that Isabelle made me take the week off, and I ran home to Ohio, and my dad gave me some amazing insight, and now I'm here, begging you to forgive me and take me back because I love you, so much, and…"

Blaine wanted nothing more than to throw himself in Kurt's arms and say everything was forgiven, but there was one phrase that kept replaying in his brain, the one that had been eroding at his ego for three weeks.  _It's just not enough._ "I thought you said that wasn't enough," he interrupted quietly, feeling small.

Kurt let out a small gasp of horror. Blaine had told Kurt enough about his past and his resulting insecurities that he assumed Kurt understood why that particular phrase had hit Blaine so hard.

Kurt swung his legs up onto the bed and moved closer to Blaine, grabbing his hands. "Oh, Blaine… that was all me. That had  _nothing_ to do with you. You are more than enough. Your love is more than enough. It always has been, and it always will be." Kurt's tears were spilling over now, running quickly down his cheeks. "I know you have no reason to believe me, but I will repeat that every hour of every day until you do. You are the best person I have ever known, and you are more than enough. I love you, Blaine, I love you so much…" Kurt's voice trailed off because he was crying too hard to continue.

Blaine couldn't resist the urge he'd had since the moment he saw Kurt sitting on his couch. "I love you too, Kurt, I love you too," he choked through his own tears, surging forward to press their lips together. The kiss was wet and salty with the taste of their tears, but Blaine didn't care. Kurt was back, and he still loved Blaine, and they were kissing. It was everything he could have hoped for.

He would have been quite content to keep kissing Kurt for hours, relearning the taste of Kurt's mouth and the feel of his lips against Blaine's. There was one minor problem with that plan, though…

"Blainey!" Cooper called, knocking on the bedroom door. "Put it on hold until after tomorrow! Oral sex will ruin your voice!"


	69. Chapter 69

Kurt had gotten so lost in the movement of Blaine's lips against his and the feel of Blaine's body straddling his lap that he'd completely forgotten about Blaine's brother. Apparently Blaine had too, given the curse he muttered under his breath. Blaine pulled back so abruptly that Kurt had to grip Blaine's hips to prevent him from slipping off his lap and onto the floor. Kurt felt his face flaming with an embarrassed blush, and was grateful Blaine had had the foresight to lock the bedroom door.

"Go away, Coop!" Blaine shouted over his shoulder before turning back to Kurt and chasing Kurt's blush down his neck with a series of wet, open kisses.

The door handle rattled, and when that didn't work, Cooper just knocked again. "Come on, Blainey. You can have sex any time. You only get one off-Broadway debut!"

Blaine groaned, his face buried in Kurt's neck. "It's none of your business, Cooper!"

"I did not spend 26 years molding you into a star for you to throw it all away at the last minute!" Cooper yelled back.

Kurt giggled. "Please tell me you took zero acting advice from him."

Blaine shot him a look of disbelief. "Do you really have such a low opinion of my intelligence?"

"Of course not," Kurt replied, tightening his arms around Blaine. "I think… you are… the most brilliant… and most talented… and most incredible… man… on the planet." He punctuated each phrase with a kiss.

"Oh yeah?" Blaine whispered against Kurt's lips.

"Mhmm," Kurt murmured, leaning back in for another kiss.

There was another series of loud knocks on the door. "Blaine! I will knock down this door! You know I played Victim #3 on a  _Law and Order_ episode once, so I totally know how to do it!"

It was Kurt's turn to groan. "He's really not going to give up, is he?"

Blaine sighed and climbed off Kurt's lap. "Give up isn't really in Cooper's vocabulary." He scrubbed a hand down his face to brush away the remaining traces of his tears, then leaned over and rubbed his thumbs across Kurt's cheeks to do the same. Out in the hall, Cooper had switched to incessant knocking. "Still think he means well?" Blaine teased as he stood and held out a hand for Kurt.

Kurt smiled as he slid his hand into Blaine's, relishing how perfectly it fit. He followed Blaine to the bedroom door. "In a really weird, totally invasive way… yes."

Blaine leaned over and pressed a quick, smiling kiss to Kurt's cheek before reaching over to unlock the door.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt caught a flash of movement as Blaine opened the door. With lightning fast reflexes he didn't realize he possessed, Kurt released Blaine's hand and shoved him off to the side… just in time for Cooper Anderson to fly through the open doorway and send him crashing to the floor.

Kurt didn't even notice the sound of a lamp crashing onto the floor as a result of Blaine stumbling into the nightstand across the room. All he could feel was the full weight of Blaine's brother pressing him into the floor… and the lightning hot pain shooting through his wrist.

"What the  _hell,_ Cooper?!" Blaine shouted, stomping across the room to push Cooper off Kurt.

"I told you I was going to break down the door!" Cooper replied, rolling to his back and sitting up.

"What is  _wrong_ with you? You don't break down people's doors, Coop! You are not a cop, no matter how many episodes of cop shows you've auditioned for!" Blaine knelt down next to Kurt, but his eyes were still on Cooper. "There is a line, Cooper! I know you want what's best for me in your own twisted way, but you are so far past the line! You need to back off!"

Kurt knew Blaine had insisted he'd taken none of Cooper's acting advice, but he was doing an awful lot of pointing right now. Unfortunately, as proud as Kurt was of the way Blaine was standing up for himself, he had more pressing concerns right now. "Blaine…" he moaned.

Blaine's head immediately snapped to face him. "Oh my God, Kurt, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

Kurt grimaced as a fresh wave of pain shot through his wrist. "I think… I think I broke my wrist."


	70. Chapter 70

If Blaine had made a list of every possible scenario he could think of for the day before opening night, a reunion with Kurt followed by a trip to the emergency room would never have come up. Yet there he was, sitting on a hospital bed beside Kurt, holding Kurt's uninjured right hand tightly in his while they waited for the x-ray results. They'd left Cooper out in the waiting room, where he was supposedly "charming his fans," which mostly involved smiling and winking at anyone who happened to look Cooper's way. Blaine probably would have left Cooper at home, but he'd been too focused on getting Kurt to the hospital to waste energy fighting with his brother.

"Can I ask you something?" Kurt said, running his thumb across the back of Blaine's knuckles.

"Of course," Blaine replied without hesitation.

"How were you going to become a doctor if the sight of blood makes you cringe?"

Blaine had been hoping Kurt's pain had been too distracting for him to notice the way Blaine had flinched when a nurse came in to draw Kurt's blood after they had first been called back. Apparently not. "I would have gotten over it," Blaine said defensively.

Kurt rested his head on Blaine's shoulder. "Honey, I love you, but I don't think that was ever going to happen."

"I could have done it," Blaine pouted.

Kurt nodded against his neck, but Blaine knew could tell by the slight hum Kurt made that he was just humoring Blaine. Blaine was spared developing a stronger argument by the appearance of the doctor.

"How are we doing in here?" she asked with a friendly smile as she breezed into the room. She pushed a rolling computer stand toward the bed. "How's your pain doing?"

"It's a little better than before," Kurt answered, picking his head up off Blaine's shoulder.

"Can I see?" the doctor asked, reaching for the ice pack on Kurt's wrist. Kurt lifted it off, and the doctor gently touched the skin. "Looks like the swelling's gone down. That's good." She walked back to the computer and starting typing rapidly. "You ready to see your x-ray?"

Kurt nodded, and the doctor turned the computer screen toward them. She used her mouse like a pointer. "See this thin dark line here?" She looked over at Blaine and Kurt, who nodded in confirmation. "That shouldn't be there. Normally you should have a nice, even white color. What you have right here is a distal radial fracture, or a broken wrist."

"I am going to kill Cooper," Blaine muttered under his breath.

Kurt admonished him with a slight nudge. "So what do we do about it?" he asked the doctor.

She closed the x-ray and pushed the computer away. "How do you feel about casts?"

"I don't think it gets much better than the original one for  _Wicked_ ," Kurt joked.

The doctor smiled warmly. "While I agree wholeheartedly, that's not quite the kind of cast I had in mind." She pulled over a stool and sat down. "Luckily, the fracture you have is one of the uncomplicated ones, and your bones haven't been knocked out of alignment, which means I don't have to put you through more pain to reset them. All you need is a simple cast, which we'll leave on for about 6 weeks, with periodic x-rays to monitor healing. Other than being kind of annoying, the cast shouldn't cause you any problems. If you guys can wait just a few more minutes, I'll go get the supplies, and then I can come back and wrap you up and talk you through some of the more practical considerations for living with your cast. Sound good?"

"As good as I think it's going to get," Kurt replied.

The doctor gave Kurt a sympathetic look. "I know. It's never fun to hear your wrist is broken, but we'll try to get you fixed up as quickly as possible. Hang tight for a few more minutes." She stopped at the curtains separating Kurt's bed from the others in the emergency room and turned back. "Any preference on cast color?"

For the first time since they'd gotten to the hospital, Kurt smiled brightly. "I get to accessorize?" he said excitedly. "What are my color options?"

Blaine moaned quietly. "Oh God, we're never getting out of here, are we?"

Kurt elbowed him in the side and listened in rapt attention as the doctor listed the options, clearly already running a complicated calculation in his head for which color would match with the most outfits.

Blaine settled in for another long wait. Then again, Kurt had broken his arm in protecting Blaine from being crushed by his brother, so being patient seemed like the least he could do.


	71. Chapter 71

"Alone at last," Kurt observed happily as Blaine settled next to him on the couch.

Blaine sighed. "It won't last very long. Cooper will be back with the food in like 20 minutes."

Kurt shifted so he was facing Blaine more directly. He leaned toward Blaine until his mouth was just inches away from Blaine's. "Twenty whole minutes, Blaine," Kurt murmured softly, leaning forward to capture Blaine's lips with his.

Blaine responded instantly, opening his mouth under Kurt's and moaning slightly when Kurt slipped his tongue in. Blaine brought his hands up to cradle Kurt's face in that way he had that made Kurt feel precious and cherished, and Kurt shifted so he was kneeling on the couch, pressing Blaine back into the arm. He went to lift his hands to slide them around Blaine's neck… and promptly hissed in pain when he moved his injured arm too quickly.

Blaine immediately shifted away from Kurt. "Are you okay? Do you need more Tylenol?"

"No, I'm fine. I don't think I can take more yet anyway. I just moved too quickly. I'll be fine." Blaine's face was still furrowed in concern, so Kurt leaned forward to press a series of gentle kisses along the crease of Blaine's forehead. "Come on. We only have 18 minutes left."

Blaine acquiesced and melted back into Kurt's kiss as their lips met. Kurt was careful to lift only his uninjured right arm to cup Blaine's jaw, tilting Blaine's head slightly to get a better angle. Blaine's tongue darted out to meet his, and Kurt made a satisfied noise in the back of his throat. As their kisses grew deeper, Kurt shifted to lean further into Blaine, pressing their bodies more fully together. In the distraction caused by Blaine's intoxicating kisses, Kurt forgot all about his injured wrist and pulled back abruptly with a curse as he went to use it to brace himself over Blaine.

"Kurt, maybe we shouldn't…" Blaine said in concern as Kurt sat back and cradled his wrist against his chest.

"Blaine, stop trying to get me to stop taking advantage of our alone time," Kurt interrupted. "It's been three weeks. I've missed you too much to stop."

"I've missed you too, Kurt, but we have plenty of time later…"

Kurt shook his head. "No. Now." The pain in his wrist was starting to subside back to tolerable levels. "Maybe if you're on top, so I won't be tempted to brace myself with my bad arm?"

Blaine looked unsure, so Kurt put on his best pouting face. He slid his good hand up under Blaine's shirt and traced light circles on his abdomen. "Please?" he begged. "Can't we try? It's been  _three weeks_."

Kurt knew the moment Blaine caved before he even said anything. "Okay. But if I do anything to hurt you…"

Kurt squealed in delight and shifted to the other end of the couch so he was lying back against the arm of the sofa. "You won't. It'll be fine," Kurt insisted as Blaine followed him down the couch. Blaine was still looking hesitant, so Kurt fisted his good hand in Blaine's shirt and tugged him down. Blaine fell into him with an _oomph_ , but Blaine just grinned and adjusted until their bodies were perfectly aligned before resuming their kissing.

A few minutes later, Blaine was just starting to trace a damp line toward Kurt's favorite spot on his neck when they both pulled back suddenly. "Ow!" Blaine shouted, while Kurt let out a series of curses. Once again he'd forgotten about the cast, and he'd smacked it pretty hard against Blaine's hip as he'd moved to pull Blaine's pelvis more tightly against his.

Blaine rubbed his sore hip. "Kurt, I love you and I've missed you, but can we concede defeat yet?" He glanced over at the clock. "We only have like 5 minutes left anyway."

Kurt sighed in frustration. "Yeah."

"I can't believe Cooper's cockblocking me when he's not even here," Blaine muttered.

Kurt laughed and ran his good hand through Blaine's loose curls. "I'll get used to this soon," he promised, holding up his cast, "and then we can try this again."

Blaine gave him a weak smile and leaned into Kurt's touch. "Can we just cuddle?" he asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice and expression.

Kurt hated that Blaine felt insecure enough to have to ask. He hated that he'd done this to Blaine, made him unsure of himself and of their relationship. Somehow, he would find a way to make it up to Blaine. "Of course we can," he replied almost instantly, opening his arms. Blaine settled back into his arms, and Kurt gently and carefully placed the cast on Blaine's back to avoid any further accidents. He used his other hand to stroke slowly up and down Blaine's back, and Blaine made a purring noise of contentment.

They lay like that for a few minutes in silence. Blaine's breath was slow and even against Kurt's neck, and Kurt wondered if Blaine was nodding off. He got his answer a few seconds later. "Kurt?" Blaine said quietly.

"Yeah, honey?" Kurt replied softly.

"I have two tickets to opening night tomorrow, and I'm giving one to Coop, obviously, but… would you want the other one? I can give it to Wes or Sam if you don't want it…"

Kurt turned his head to press a kiss against Blaine's forehead. "Are you kidding? Of course I want it. I changed my flight back from Ohio just to make sure I would be here well in advance of your big night. You couldn't keep me away if you tried."

Blaine's hand tightened a little on Kurt's hip. "It's not going to be too much for you?" he asked softly.

"Too much?" Kurt repeated in confusion.

"If it's too hard for you to watch me without feeling jealous, that's okay," Blaine explained. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable or sad."

Kurt nudged Blaine's head with his shoulder. "Blaine, look at me," he prompted. When Blaine complied, Kurt smiled at him. "I want to be there tomorrow. I am so _proud_  of you, and I want to be there to support you. I love you."

"It's not going to make you too jealous?"

Kurt made sure Blaine's eyes were locked on his before he continued. "I'm not jealous. God, I feel so ridiculous that I ever was. You're incredible, and you deserve this, and I am so, so happy for you, and I can't wait to see you shine tomorrow. Okay?" When Blaine looked a little skeptical, Kurt leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. "I'm not lying. I'm done with lying."

"Promise?"

"Promise," Kurt repeated.

Blaine smiled. "Love you," he said, leaning in to give Kurt a soft kiss.

"Love you too," Kurt said as Blaine settled back against him for a few more minutes of silent cuddling until Cooper returned with dinner.


	72. Chapter 72

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet another sex warning in case you need it.

Blaine woke up the next morning feeling far more steady than he had expected. He'd expected to feel nervous and anxious, but he felt… peaceful, content, and sure. He'd been working hard for weeks. He knew his lines. He knew his songs. He knew his choreography. He was prepared. Plus, he had Kurt in his arms again. His life couldn't be any better.

Blaine slid out of bed and snuck down the hall to the kitchen to make breakfast. Thirty minutes later, he tiptoed back to his room with a tray full of eggs, pancakes, and fresh fruit. He balanced the tray on the nightstand, careful not to disturb the two steaming mugs of coffee, and climbed gently on the bed to wake Kurt up with soft kisses. "Mmm, morning," Kurt hummed against Blaine's lips.

Blaine deepened the kiss until Kurt nipped at his lower lip and pulled back. "Okay, I can't stand how disgusting my mouth tastes right now."

"I don't care," Blaine said, leaning forward again.

Kurt stopped him with his good hand, pressing it against Blaine's shoulder. "And I really need to pee."

"Okay," Blaine conceded, rolling away to let Kurt out. "But hurry back. I brought us breakfast."

Kurt looked over at the tray on the nightstand. "I'm supposed to be pampering you today. You're supposed to be taking it easy."

Blaine shrugged and pressed a kiss to Kurt's shoulder. "I like pampering you though."

Kurt smiled and gave Blaine one last quick kiss before sliding out of bed. When he came back, Blaine was sitting cross-legged on the bed, the tray balanced carefully on his lap. Kurt climbed back in and sat opposite him so their knees touched and reached for a mug of coffee. They enjoyed a simple breakfast picnic on the bed, with soft laughter and heated looks and flirtatious feeding of each other. When they'd finished eating, Kurt took the tray and set it on the dresser. "Hey, is your brother a heavy sleeper?" he asked, crossing the room toward the door.

Blaine nodded. A slow grin spread over his face as Kurt flipped the lock on the bedroom door before coming back to the bed. "What would you have done if I said no?" Blaine teased as Kurt joined him.

"Told you to be really, really, really quiet," Kurt answered before his mouth descended on Blaine's.

Blaine kissed him back hungrily, moaning softly as their lips met again and again. As they kissed, he rolled on top of Kurt and started pressing him back into the mattress.

Kurt ripped his mouth away from Blaine's. "Uh uh," he gasped. "My turn to take care of you."

Blaine started to protest, but Kurt silenced him with a deep kiss. "My turn, Blaine," he insisted, rolling them over so Blaine was underneath him. He tugged on Blaine's shirt, and Blaine crunched upward to let Kurt tug it off. "It's your big day. Let me take care of you."

Blaine moaned in agreement as Kurt began kissing his way down Blaine's abdomen. Kurt tugged Blaine's boxers down and began tracing the line from Blaine's hip to his groin. He slid his tongue up the other side, then back. When Kurt moved around to the underside of Blaine's cock to run his tongue along its length, Blaine's hips arched off the bed. " _Kurt_ ," Blaine called out, sounding totally wrecked.

"Shh," Kurt admonished. "I don't want to chance it with your brother… especially after yesterday's misadventure."

Blaine's laugh transformed into a satisfied groan as Kurt opened his jaw and took Blaine into his mouth, sucking lightly. "Oh, God, Kurt, that's so good…"

"Shh," Kurt repeated. He sank back down to envelop Blaine in the moist heat of his mouth, and Blaine couldn't hold back the moan. He knew he was being loud, but he wasn't used to having to consider anyone else. And Kurt was making him feel  _so good,_ sinking and licking up and down Blaine's penis in the rhythm Blaine loved so much.

Blaine completely lost track of everything but the feel of Kurt's mouth, so he was surprised when Kurt appeared in front of him. "New plan. You're too loud," Kurt said, pressing his mouth against Blaine's quickly. Kurt sat back and pulled his shirt and pants off as quickly as possible, then settled back on top of Blaine. Kurt pressed their mouths back together, shifting his body until their cocks slotted together. When Blaine moaned at the contact, it was muffled by Kurt's kiss.

"You're a genius," Blaine whispered against Kurt's mouth.

"I know," Kurt said, his lips curving up against Blaine's as their lips reconnected. Kurt slipped his tongue into Blaine's mouth and simultaneously rocked his hips downward. The residual saliva from Kurt's aborted blow job provided just enough lubrication.

Blaine pushed up in response to Kurt's movement, prolonging the contact. Their mouths were sealed tightly together, and Blaine wasn't even sure which moans were coming from whom anymore. Their lips maintained contact as they moved against each other. Kurt continued plunging his tongue into Blaine's mouth in rhythm with the movement of his hips. As Blaine felt his orgasm building, he began rutting more impatiently against Kurt. Kurt picked up his speed in response, and Blaine tugged Kurt's hips down more tightly against his until he couldn't hold it in any longer. His cries of pleasure were swallowed in Kurt's kiss as he came between their stomachs. Blaine could tell Kurt was close, but not close enough to finish before Blaine got soft. Kurt sat back on his knees and wrapped his hand around his cock, pumping hard and fast in a few strokes until he came with a moan all over Blaine's abdomen.

Kurt collapsed forward onto Blaine, and Blaine was too sated to complain when Kurt forgot about his cast for the first time this morning and hit Blaine's shoulder a little too hard. When Kurt had recovered, he rolled off to Blaine's side and reached behind himself to grab a few tissues from Blaine's nightstand and wipe them both clean. After he disposed of them, Kurt slid back into bed and curled up against Blaine's side.

Blaine tilted his head to face Kurt, giving him a wide grin. "Hi."

"Hi," Kurt replied softly, stretching the inch separating their mouths to give him a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you," Blaine echoed, nuzzling his nose against Kurt's.

Kurt's lips curled up slightly as he leaned in for another kiss. They exchanged soft, lazy kisses and gentle, easy smiles for a few minutes until Kurt lowered his head to Blaine's shoulder. Blaine tucked his chin on top of Kurt's head and slid his arms around Kurt, relishing the feel of having Kurt back in his arms. "Hey, so I was thinking that after Sunday's matinee, we could scan some of the apartment listings and make a short list, and then we can go see some places after you get out of work on Monday."

Kurt lifted his head and gave Blaine a confused look. "What are you talking about?"

"Finding you a new apartment. And if you still need help packing, I can go over to your place on Monday while you're at work."

Kurt's brow became more deeply furrowed. "Oh. Did you… do you not want me to move in here anymore?"

Blaine surged forward to kiss Kurt. "Of course I do. I just thought you didn't want to move in."

Kurt laughed, letting his forehead fall against Blaine's. "One day back, and we're already having communication issues again." He reached up to stroke a curl off Blaine's forehead. "I want to move in, if you'll still have me."

"Of course I will. I just thought…"

A shadow of sadness drifted across Kurt's face. "I know. I said some horrible things. But like I said, I got a lot of clarity this week thanks to a talk with my dad. Plus, I hated being away from you for the past month. I missed coming home to you, and waking up with you, and showering with you…" He started pressing a series of kisses along Blaine's jaw.

Blaine turned his head to meet Kurt's lips, humming happily into the kiss. "In that case, I suggest spending Sunday evening rearranging my stuff to find lots of room for yours."

"Are you suggesting I have a lot of stuff?" Kurt teased.

Blaine grinned. "I've seen your wardrobe. I'm pretty sure we're going to need to build a new closet just for you."

"No, we'll be fine… once I get rid of all the hideous clothes you shouldn't have owned in the first place."

"Hey!" Blaine protested. "My clothes are very dapper."

"Some of them, maybe. But I seem to recall a certain fireworks bowtie…"

Blaine let out a loud laugh. "It's been ten months. You really need to let that go."

"Never going to happen," Kurt replied saucily, leaning in toward Blaine. He brought his hands up to cup Blaine's jaw and then cursed when he caught sight of his cast. "I hate this thing already. It's so bulky and ugly."

Blaine gave Kurt a quick kiss. "I have an idea," he said, slipping out from underneath Kurt.


	73. Chapter 73

Kurt bit his lower lip and tried to lean around Blaine's shoulder. "Kurt, I told you, no peeking," Blaine chastised, shifting so his shoulder blocked Kurt's view more fully.

Kurt sighed and leaned forward to press a kiss against the back of Blaine's bare shoulder. "You're taking so long," he whined. It felt like ages since Blaine had bounced out of bed, slipped on a pair of boxers, and disappeared down the hall. He'd come back carrying a pile of markers and had set up in between Kurt's legs, cradling Kurt's cast in his lap and insisting he was going to beautify it. Kurt hadn't protested, even though he knew Blaine's artistic abilities were not nearly as good as his performing abilities.

"You can't rush art," Blaine replied, glancing over his shoulder.

"Don't you have to leave soon for the theater?"

Blaine didn't even bother looking at the clock. "I've got hours before I even need to consider leaving."

Kurt started pressing kisses to the back of Blaine's neck. "You can't distract me," Blaine murmured, switching markers.

"Fine." Kurt settled back against the headboard. After a few more minutes of silence, he was bored again. He shifted very slightly, and Blaine immediately made a disapproving noise.

"No peeking!" he ordered again.

"How did you hear that? I barely even moved!" Kurt complained.

"Patience, love. I'm almost done," Blaine reassured, resting a gentle hand on Kurt's knee.

Kurt sighed again. Blaine continued to draw quietly, and Kurt settled for watching the muscles of Blaine's back and shoulder move as he leaned to grab markers or shifted to reach a different spot on the cast. "Are you nervous about today?"

"Surprisingly, not really," Blaine answered, still drawing. "I'm a little nervous, but it's mostly excitement."

"I can't wait to see you. You're going to be incredible."

Blaine looked back at Kurt. "You can still change your mind about coming if you want."

"Blaine. I'm coming," Kurt said forcefully. "You're going to be amazing, and I am going to be there cheering you on and bragging to anyone who will listen that you're my boyfriend."

Blaine grinned and picked up another marker. A few minutes later, he capped a black marker with a flourish. "It is complete," he announced, turning around to face Kurt.

Kurt lifted his arm and brought his cast toward him. A series of images were drawn across the cast, surrounded by colorful swirls and polka dots. Blaine's eyes scanned Kurt's face uncertainly. He started pointing out images on the cast. "This is a picnic basket, in honor of our first date. Over here is the windmill from  _Moulin Rouge_  to represent our first duet. Then there's a blackbird, because that's the song you were singing the first time I saw you… a magic carpet, for our Aladdin duet at Mercedes's party… a superhero in a pink cape… a puppy because they're still the best animals ever, no matter what you say…"

Kurt pointed at a reddish blob, with blue and black lines sticking out of the top on the side of his arm. "What's that?"

"Oh." Blaine looked embarrassed. "That was supposed to be an anatomically correct image of a heart, because mine is yours, but… yeah. That didn't work out so well."

"You should have drawn a hunk of cheese, because that's what you're made of," Kurt said, leaning forward to kiss Blaine. "But I love it."

"Yeah?" Blaine looked pleasantly surprised, like he hadn't expected Kurt to like it. Kurt wasn't sure why Blaine would think that. By sketching simple images from moments in their relationship, Blaine had basically drawn him a love letter on his arm.

"Yeah," Kurt replied, pulling Blaine in for a deeper kiss, feeling Blaine's smile curve against his mouth.

Kurt pulled back and continued rotating his arm to look at the various images when he caught sight of a sketch right across the back of his hand. "No. You didn't."

Blaine gave him an innocent look. "Didn't what?"

"You drew the fireworks bowtie!" Kurt protested.

"Did I?" Blaine asked, pretending to be surprised.

"And in the most obvious spot!"

Blaine grinned. "Huh. How about that."

Kurt shoved Blaine lightly. "I hate you."

"No, you don't," Blaine said, leaning in to kiss him. "You love me."

Kurt tried to pinch Blaine's hip in protest, but Blaine rolled away too quickly. "I should go shower," he said, slipping out of reach.

Kurt glowered at Blaine, who just laughed and disappeared out the door. As soon as Blaine was gone, though, he went back to admiring his cast and smiling like a fool. He really had the most adorable boyfriend ever.


	74. Chapter 74

Blaine was glad Cooper was sleeping late today. Blaine could still hear him lightly snoring in the living room when he tiptoed back to his room, freshly showered. Kurt was fishing through the closet, his pajama pants slung low on his hips.

"What are you doing?" Blaine asked, admiring the shape of Kurt's ass as he bent over to get something from the floor.

"Picking out your outfit, as usual," Kurt replied, his voice muffled.

Blaine pulled the towel from around his waist and slipped on a clean pair of underwear. "Kurt, I'm just going to the theater. There's nobody to impress, and I'm going to end up taking it all off to get in costume anyway."

Kurt pulled out a pair of dress shoes and set them on the floor. "I don't care what you wear to the theater. But isn't there a reception afterward with some of the big financial backers?" Blaine hummed in agreement. "I'm picking out your outfit for that."

Blaine slipped a polo shirt over his head. When Kurt left the closet, carrying a few pairs of suit pants that he laid on the bed, Blaine slipped into the closet to grab a pair of pants. While he slipped on socks, Kurt held up a variety of suit jackets, making various noises of consideration. Finally, he set a jacket on the bed and carried a few pants back to the closet. After he dropped a button-down shirt on the bed, he held out a few bowties to Blaine. "Which one?"

"I get to make a decision?" Blaine asked excitedly.

Kurt glared at him and shook the ties. Blaine pointed to one, and Kurt set it on the bed. "What time do you have to leave?" Kurt asked.

"I was thinking I'd leave around 6. I have to be at the theater by 7."

Kurt glanced over at the clock. It was almost noon. "I'm going to take a shower. After that, do you want to go grab lunch and then come to my place so we can bring some of my stuff back over here?"

"I would love that."

Kurt grinned and gave him a quick kiss. "Be back soon."

While Kurt showered, Blaine finished getting ready. He lightly gelled his hair, knowing the hair and makeup people would just end up restyling it at the theater later but not wanting his curls to get too out of control. He was just slipping on a pair of shoes when Cooper appeared at the bedroom door. "Hey, squirt. You ready for your big day?"

"Hey, Coop."

Cooper entered the room and sat on the bed. "Since this is your first big gig, I thought I'd let you in on my proven filming day routine." He eyed Blaine's outfit. "Change into workout clothes. We'll start with an easy jog around Central Park – it gives you a nice, healthy glow, and it's a high visibility area so you're likely to be spotted by paps, which will establish your image as a man who takes good care of himself. Then we'll have a protein-only lunch. I prefer half a chicken breast and half a sirloin steak, but a 2/3 to 1/3 split works too. After lunch, we'll run through the script backward, twice. For dinner, it's raw food only – sushi, leafy greens, and some nuts. Right before the show, we'll do a series of crunches and push-ups to get your muscles looking toned and sculpted right before you start."

Blaine reached into his closet to grab a light cardigan. "Coop, I appreciate the offer, but Kurt and I already planned to stop by his place to do some packing."

"Is that some gay guy code for oral sex? Because I told you, that's not good for your throat, Blainey."

"No! God, Coop, why would I tell you about my sex life?" Blaine shuddered slightly at the thought. "Kurt's moving in soon, so we were going to grab some of his things and start bringing them back here."

Cooper frowned. "What about me?"

"What about you?" Blaine repeated.

"What am I supposed to do with myself all day?"

Blaine shrugged. "I don't know, Coop. You're an adult. You can amuse yourself."

"I flew all the way out here to be here for you…" Cooper argued.

"Without telling me you were coming!" Blaine interjected.

"…and all you have to say to me is 'go amuse yourself'?"

"Coop, obviously I appreciate you coming, but…"

"…but you'd rather abandon me for your boyfriend?"

"Abandon is an interesting word choice, coming from the guy who left home the day he graduated from college and ignored me completely for the next 5 years!"

"So what, this is some kind of revenge for something that happened like 15 years ago?" Cooper yelled.

"No! But you don't get to pretend like it never happened either!"

They were interrupted by a loud and uncomfortable throat clearing. "Um… I hate to interrupt a fight that's apparently 15 years in the making, but can I get dressed?" Kurt was standing in the bedroom door, a towel wrapped tightly around his hips.

Cooper glared at Blaine and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"What was that about?" Kurt asked as he started getting dressed.

"Coop's just mad that I didn't clear my schedule for him," Blaine said, flopping back on the bed.

"Like he cleared his schedule to be here with you this week?" Kurt said casually, pulling on his pants.

"Whose side are you on?" Blaine argued.

"Yours, always," Kurt answered without hesitation, coming over and lying on his back next to Blaine on the bed. "But he did come all the way out here to be here for you this week."

Blaine sighed as he entwined their hands. "So you're saying that maybe I should spend the day with Coop instead."

Kurt rolled his head to face Blaine. "Maybe."

Blaine frowned. "But I want to spend the day with you. I just got you back."

Kurt smiled softly. "We've got plenty of other days. I'm not going anywhere."

Blaine lifted their joined hands and pressed a kiss to the back of Kurt's. "Your key is in the top drawer of my desk. Make sure you take it with you so you can let yourself back in with your stuff."

Kurt slid forward and kissed Blaine. "Go have fun with your brother, and I'll see you later."

Blaine nodded before getting up to walk down the hall. He headed for the living room, where Cooper was pacing angrily back and forth. "Coop."

"Come to yell at me some more for being a jerk when I was younger?"

Blaine shook his head. "I came to apologize for being a jerk myself."

Cooper's face immediately broke into a smile. "Apology accepted, little brother. Does that mean you're ready for that run?"

"How about we just… hang out instead? Maybe grab some lunch?"

Cooper immediately started collecting his stuff. "There's a grocery store just down the street. I can pick us up some chicken and sirloin, and we can cook it up…"

"How about we just… grab a normal lunch, maybe from that burger place down the street?" Blaine countered.

Cooper nodded. "I'd like that, squirt."


	75. Chapter 75

Kurt's knee jiggled nervously up and down as he nervously checked his watch for the millionth time. There were still about fifteen minutes to go before curtain. Kurt just hoped Blaine wasn't as nervous as Kurt was. He hadn't seen Blaine since this morning. They'd clearly crossed paths at some point mid-afternoon, because when Kurt had come back to the apartment with his stuff, Blaine's suit had been gone and there had been a post-it note on the closet door that said, "Move anything you want," followed by a little heart.

They'd texted back and forth a few times in the afternoon, which was how Kurt had known that his ticket was at the will-call window and that he'd be sitting next to Cooper (Blaine had texted that as an apology). Cooper hadn't arrived yet, which started adding to Kurt's nervousness. What if Cooper didn't show? Blaine would be so crushed. Of course, he would pretend not to be, but Kurt knew Blaine. Cooper was the only family Blaine had that even tried, and it would really upset him if even Cooper failed to come through. Maybe Kurt could pretend Cooper had been here, but had left early on a… soap opera emergency. But Kurt had just promised Blaine no more lies, and he wasn't about to break that promise, especially not with such an obvious and weak lie…

He was still debating what to do and lamenting the fact that he hadn't thought to get Cooper's cell phone number when a blonde-haired man sat down in the empty seat next to him. "Oh, no, um…" Kurt started to interrupt, but then the man turned toward him and he recognized Cooper's face underneath a thick blonde beard. "Cooper?" he asked in confusion.

"Shh," Cooper hissed. "I'm trying to be incognito."

Kurt glanced at the curly blonde wig and the bushy beard he had apparently glued on. They were a bright, platinum blonde color that looked completely out of place on Cooper's skin tone. If anything, they drew more attention to Cooper rather than less. "Why?" Kurt blurted.

"If people recognized me, it would draw a lot of attention away from my baby brother on his big night," Cooper explained.

Kurt's immediate thought was to point out that the odds of anyone recognizing Cooper even without the disguise was pretty slim, since Cooper just played a minor role on a soap opera. The underlying thought was sweet, though, and that's what Kurt went with. "You're a good brother, Cooper."

"You say that like you're surprised," Cooper observed.

"No! I mean… um…"

"It's fine," Cooper dismissed. "I haven't always been a good brother, and I can only imagine what Blaine has told you. But I'm trying."

"I'm sure Blaine appreciates that," Kurt murmured, thrown off by the entire conversation.

Cooper nodded in acknowledgement. "Along the lines of trying to be a better brother, I will personally call every soap opera casting company and tell them never to hire you if you ever hurt my baby brother again."

"What?" This conversation had taken way too many turns for Kurt to keep up. "What do you mean, again?"

Cooper gave Kurt an unamused look that was almost identical to Blaine's. "I may be self-centered, but I'm not oblivious. For the last year, every single phone call I've had with Blaine has been filled with you. It's all  _Kurt this_ and  _Kurt that_ and  _Kurt and I did this_ and blah blah blah. Then I call him a couple weeks ago and suddenly there was no mention of you, and he sounded like he did after the squirrel that used to hang out in our backyard got run over by a car. It was pretty obvious something had happened, so I flew out here as soon as I could." He looked at Kurt with an exaggerated menacing glare. "I don't care what happened, but just make sure it never happens again, or I will destroy any future you could have had in the soap opera industry. Understood?"

Kurt nodded. "Understood." Then he grinned. Apparently Blaine wasn't as alone as he thought he was. "You're a really good brother, Cooper."

Cooper winked just as the lights began to dim.


	76. Chapter 76

Blaine had been doing fine all day, but the minute he entered the theater, his nerves hit him all at once. Suddenly every possible way he could mess up started running through his head as he made his way to his dressing room. What if he forgot his lines? What if he tripped in the middle of that dance combo he still messed up sometimes? What if his voice cracked in the middle of a solo? What if he put on the wrong costume, or couldn't change fast enough and missed his cue, or…

He was interrupted from his litany of catastrophes by a knock on his door. "Come in!"

Tina bounced into the room and wrapped him in a hug. "You're here! Are you excited? Nervous? It's going to be so great! You're going to be so great!"

Blaine smiled as Tina pulled back. "Someone's had too much coffee."

Tina laughed. "Sadly no, this is all natural. I always get pretty wired on opening night. Ignore me." Then she narrowed her eyes. "You look… happy."

"Really? Because I feel anxious," Blaine replied.

Tina waved her hand. "No, beyond that. You just seem… happier, somehow. Content."

Blaine's phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and found a text from Kurt. "Leaving for the theater now. Can't wait to see you! I'll be the handsome guy cheering really, really loudly." Blaine grinned as he opened the selfie Kurt had attached showing him looking exceptionally stylish in his suit.

"That! That's exactly what I'm talking about!" Tina said.

Blaine's head snapped up. He'd forgotten Tina was in the room.

"You have to tell me," Tina insisted.

"Kurt… my ex… well, not my ex… the guy…"

Tina rolled her eyes. "Blaine, I know who Kurt is. Remember? You've been telling me about him for the past couple of weeks."

"Right. Well, Kurt and I got back together yesterday."

Tina squealed and wrapped Blaine in another tight hug. "That's so fantastic! Oh my God, I'm so happy for you! You deserve this, Blaine." Then she pulled back and glanced down at her watch. "Oh! We have to get you to hair and makeup. You can tell me all about it when you stop by my room for your costume."

Blaine's nervousness continued to escalate as he got ready for the performance. He didn't have much time to check his phone, but when he could, he kept finding quick supportive texts of encouragement from Kurt. Cooper even sent a message that was a long, rambling story about some one-line role he'd had in an indie film, but it did contain the words "break a leg," so Blaine assumed it was meant to be a message of support. His chat with Tina about Kurt while Tina checked his costume for any last-minute adjustments was a nice distraction.

Ten minutes to curtain, Heather appeared at his dressing room door. "Blaine."

"Heather!" Blaine said in surprise.

She scanned his costume, hair, and makeup. "Have someone touch up your lipstick. It's faded too much."

"Okay…" Blaine replied in confusion. He still hadn't quite figured out how to read Heather. It was entirely possible she had only stopped by to check up on him, but it was also possible the lipstick comment was just a coincidence.

"I came by to wish you well, though I doubt you need it. I have every confidence you will exceed all expectations, as you have been since I hired you." Like everything else Heather said, the delivery was short, clipped, and curt, so it took Blaine a minute to realize it had been a compliment.

"Wow. Thank you," Blaine replied sincerely, touched by the unexpected display of approval.

Heather nodded. "Go get that lipstick fixed," she said again, leaving as abruptly as she had come.

Blaine smiled and followed her down the hall back to the hair and makeup station. The nerves had faded again, and now all that was left was the familiar pre-performance buzz.

It was going to be a great show.


	77. Chapter 77

From the very first note of the opening scene, Kurt watched the show in rapt fascination. Blaine was dynamic. He owned the stage like a seasoned veteran, capturing everyone's attention and taking everyone on an engaging journey. It was completely dazzling.

Kurt knew he wasn't the only one who thought so. When the lights came on during intermission, he heard some older women in the row ahead of him commenting on how spectacular Blaine was. In the restroom, he heard two men at the urinals discussing Blaine's performance and making lewd suggestions of what they'd like to do with him. Kurt wanted to run up on stage and announce to everyone that Blaine was his boyfriend, especially to make sure those guys in the bathroom knew Blaine was off-limits. He figured Blaine wouldn't approve of that, though, so he kept his near-bursting pride to himself.

The minute the show ended and the curtain opened to begin the bowing, Kurt was up on his feet, clapping and cheering loudly, joining the crowd in a standing ovation. The applause grew louder as more actors came out to take their bows. When Blaine appeared, jogging through the lines of choral actors, the crowd let out a massive roar. Blaine let out an ebullient laugh and bowed before waving to the crowd in acknowledgement. As Blaine gestured for his castmates to join him for another bow, Kurt slipped past the other people in his row and snuck around to the stage door. One of Blaine's texts today had mentioned that he'd left Kurt's name with the security guys at the stage door, so Kurt assumed that was an invitation for him to meet Blaine backstage.

Kurt was immediately waved in and tried to follow the directions the security guy had provided to Blaine's dressing room, but he ended up at a dead end in front of a room filled with fabric. A girl sat with her back to him, stitching up what looked like a minor tear in the seam of a pair of pants.

"Excuse me?" Kurt said, knocking lightly on the door.

The girl spun around. "Hi!" she said enthusiastically. "Wow.  _Love_ your suit. Is that Hugo Boss?"

Kurt nodded.

"Can I please show you to my husband so he can finally understand how fantastic designer suits look and I can finally convince him to invest in one?" she asked, eyeing Kurt's suit longingly.

"Um... can you show me where my boyfriend's dressing room is first?"

The girl's eyes widened. "Oh my God, are you Kurt?"

Kurt narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. "Yes… how did you know that?"

The girl reached out and enveloped him in a hug. "It is so nice to finally meet you!"

"It's nice to meet you too, whoever you are," Kurt replied.

The girl pulled back and looked appropriately chagrined. "I'm sorry; I'm being completely rude. I'm Tina. I'm the costume designer, and Blaine's one of my closest friends here, so I've heard lots of things about you."

"Oh, no. Were these things before or after 3 weeks ago?"

Tina's eyes shifted away, and Kurt had his answer. He sighed. "Does it help that I know I was a jerk?"

Tina laid a consoling hand on Kurt's arm. "He was always very positive about you. He kept blaming himself."

Hearing that broke Kurt's heart. It seemed he had a lot to make up to Blaine. "Thank you for being there for him."

Tina laughed. "You don't have to thank me. He's awesome. The pleasure was all mine." In the distance, they could hear footsteps thundering down the hall. Apparently the cast was clearing off the stage. "Come on, let me show you to Blaine's dressing room before it turns into a zoo back here."

Tina dropped Kurt off in Blaine's dressing room, giving Kurt a parting hug. Seconds later, Blaine slipped into the room. He was sweaty and almost breathless, but his face was glowing. He broke into a broad grin as soon as he saw Kurt and bounded forward into Kurt's arms, pressing his lips to Kurt's in a firm kiss.

"Sorry, I'm disgustingly sweaty," he laughed, immediately starting to pull away.

"I don't care," Kurt said, tightening his arms around Blaine's waist to prevent him from leaving. "You were  _so amazing_ , Blaine. Absolutely breathtaking. I was so proud to be with you."

Blaine's eyes were shining with tears. "Good. I want you to be."

"I always will be," Kurt assured him before pulling him back in for a kiss.


	78. Chapter 78

Blaine felt euphoric. There were a few dance moves he had definitely screwed up at the beginning of the second act, but he'd come in a little early tomorrow and ask Mike to go over those with him again tomorrow. Otherwise, though, it had gone really well, and the audience seemed to have loved it. Based on the way Kurt was kissing him, Kurt had loved it as well.

"I should get changed," Blaine murmured, reluctantly pulling away from Kurt.

"Let me help you take off your makeup first," Kurt offered, walking across the room to dig through Blaine's bag.

"What are you looking for?"

"I slid makeup removal wipes in here earlier, along with a gentle moisturizing cream," Kurt replied, pulling the items out from a side pocket.

Blaine grinned, loving that Kurt had thought to pack supplies for him. "You should probably use some yourself," he said, rubbing at Kurt's lips to try to remove some of the lipstick he'd transferred as they'd kissed.

Kurt smiled and pushed Blaine toward the chair. "I'll clean up while you change," he said, pulling out some wipes and gently dabbing at Blaine's face. When he finished, he leaned down and gave Blaine a quick kiss. "All set."

While Blaine started changing into his suit, Kurt sat down at the mirror. Blaine assumed he was taking off the lipstick, but when he looked up, he caught Kurt staring at him in the mirror. "Hey! This isn't a free show!" he scolded jokingly.

Kurt laughed. "That's okay. I already saw the good part." He looked away and started dabbing at the lipstick.

When Blaine finished sliding on his suit, Kurt came over and tied Blaine's bowtie. Then he reached back into the bag and pulled out a bottle of gel, gesturing for Blaine to sit again. Kurt ran his fingers carefully through Blaine's curls, making them look into loose and relaxed while still keeping them perfectly tamed. "Perfect," he pronounced, smiling at Blaine in the mirror.

Blaine smiled back. "Would you care to accompany me to the after-show soiree, Mr. Hummel?"

"I would be honored," Kurt replied, "but first I think you should accompany me to the lobby, where your fans are waiting."

Blaine laughed. "I think the only person Cooper's a fan of is Cooper, but you're right. I should stop by and say hello."

Kurt's lips curved up in a slightly mischievous smile. It made Blaine very suspicious.

"What's going on?" Blaine demanded.

"You'll see," Kurt answered.

"Kurt…" Blaine said in a deep, warning tone.

"Blaine…" Kurt mimicked.

"Kurt!" Blaine repeated, this time impatiently.

Kurt just laughed. "Just come with me and you'll see."

Blaine let Kurt lead him through the now empty theater to the lobby, which had mostly cleared out. Toward one side, a small cluster of people were gathered. Kurt led Blaine in that direction. Blaine immediately recognized one of them as Cooper based on the height and build, though he seemed to be wearing a blonde wig for reasons Blaine didn't even want to know. As they got closer, though, Blaine started to recognize more people. Sam was there, with Mercedes tucked under his arm, chatting with Wes and Quinn. Rachel was listening attentively to everything Cooper was saying, and Burt Hummel was watching them with an amused expression.

Blaine was completely overwhelmed. "Why are all these people here? Did you do this?" he said to Kurt, tugging on his hand gently to stop him.

Kurt looked at him like it was obvious. "Blaine, they love you. They wanted to be here to support you. The only thing I did was set a meeting point for after the show."

Blaine was about to ask further questions, but Sam spotted him and called out in excitement, and the group came over and enveloped him in a series of hugs, murmuring congratulatory words in his ear. Burt was the last to approach him. "I can't believe you came all this way," Blaine blurted out.

Burt patted him on the shoulder. "You're family, kid," he said simply.

Blaine felt the tears that had been building since he'd seen all his friends finally start to spill over. "Thank you," Blaine said, hurtling forward into a hug that was perhaps a little stronger than Burt had expected, given the little "oomph" he let you.

Burt recovered quickly, though, and patted Blaine on the back. "You were great, kid," he said proudly as they broke apart, and Blaine's tears fell faster. He'd never had a parent look at him with such pride.

Kurt reappeared at Blaine's side and slid his arm around Blaine's waist. He subtly handed Blaine a tissue. "We should probably head out," Kurt said quietly.

Blaine nodded and dabbed at his eyes. "Thank you again for coming, Mr. Hummel." Burt glared at him. "I mean Burt," Blaine corrected.

Burt nodded. "I know you boys have some event tonight, but can I take you out for breakfast in the morning before I leave?"

Blaine nodded. "I'd like that."

"Great. Kurt can text me with the details of when you're free."

While Kurt said goodbye to his father, Blaine made his rounds through the group again, saying goodbye to everyone and thanking them all for coming. He assured Wes and Quinn that he and Kurt would join them soon for dinner, and promised Sam he'd stop by to play video games sometime in the next week. When he hugged Cooper again, Cooper murmured, "I'm proud of you, squirt," and Blaine's tears started up again in earnest. Kurt handed him another tissue as they waved goodbye and started walking down the street to the restaurant where the after-party was being held.

"You know, the bigshot financial backers aren't going to be impressed if you show up crying hysterically," Kurt teased as he handed Blaine a third tissue.

"Screw them," Blaine said between sniffles. "I'm happy."

Kurt tucked Blaine tightly into his side and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "Me too."


	79. Chapter 79

As soon as they walked into the restaurant where the after-party was being held, Heather grabbed Blaine and whisked him away to meet important people. Kurt made his way to the bar to grab a drink, then settled at a table in the corner. Kurt was contently sipping his drink, nibbling on hors d'oeuvres, and watching from across the room while Blaine dazzled people with his charm when Tina came over with a tall, attractive man on her arm.

"See how great this suit looks, Mike?" Tina said to the man who was presumably her husband. "Look at how amazing Kurt looks, because the suit fits him well. That's because it's a quality designer suit, not like this cheap mess you bought at a bargain sale in some sketchy consignment shop."

Mike rolled his eyes, clearly familiar with this argument. "This suit fits just fine, and I wear it so rarely, it doesn't even matter."

"Trust me, it matters," Tina countered. "And since you wear it so rarely, it will last a really long time. Think of it as an investment."

"I'd rather save the money and invest it in a place for us," Mike replied.

Tina frowned. "Why do you have to be so sweet? You make it impossible for me to continue fighting with you."

Mike grinned and gave her a quick kiss. Then he turned to Kurt. "Hi. I'm Mike Chang," he said, holding out his hand.

Kurt shook it. "Kurt Hummel. Nice to meet you."

"Kurt is Blaine's boyfriend," Tina announced.

Mike smiled. "Blaine's a great guy. Very talented. Great dancer."

"Mike's the show's choreographer," Tina explained.

"Well, you both did an excellent job. The show was amazing."

They both thanked him. "So what do you do, Kurt?" Mike asked.

"Right now I'm working for Vogue's online division," Kurt answered.

Tina's face lit up in excitement. "Blaine never told me that! Oh my God, we have so much to talk about."

Mike gave her a tender smile. "I'm going to grab us some drinks and leave you two to talk," he said, squeezing Tina's hand before heading for the bar.

Tina took the seat across from Kurt and immediately started chatting with him about the upcoming fall fashion lines. When she realized Kurt also designed clothes, she started talking even more quickly. "You have no idea how long it's been since I actually had someone to talk to about this stuff," she apologized when Kurt looked overwhelmed.

They were still chatting almost an hour later when Blaine was finally able to break away from his admiring fans and stop by. Tina stood and gave him a hug. "I knew you would be great, but that was spectacular, Blaine! You were so amazing!" she gushed.

"Thanks, Tina," Blaine replied. "I see you've met Kurt."

"I have indeed." Then she leaned over and lightly punched Blaine. "I can't believe you never told me he's into fashion!"

Blaine started to apologize, but Heather reappeared at his elbow. "Blaine, there are a few people I'd still like you to meet."

Blaine nodded. "Yeah, okay, sure." He followed her across the room, shooting Kurt an apologetic glance. Kurt just blew him a kiss, letting him know that he understood.

It was close to midnight when Blaine finally reappeared. "I'm so sorry," he apologized.

Kurt just leaned forward to kiss him, cutting him off. "It's okay, Blaine. I understand. You have to do your job." He held out his plate to Blaine, where he'd saved a small pile of hors d'ouevres. "Did you have a chance to eat at all?"

Blaine shook his head and reached for the plate. "Thank you for saving these for me."

"Do you want me to grab you a drink?" Kurt offered.

"Can you just get me water? Anything else is just going to put me to sleep, and while the party seems to be winding down, I think we have to stay a little longer."

Kurt kissed Blaine's forehead. "Be right back." He went to the bar and grabbed a glass of water. When he came back, Blaine was chatting with a young man in a wheelchair. He set the drink in front of Blaine, and Blaine smiled in gratitude.

"Artie, this is my boyfriend, Kurt. Kurt, this is Artie, our director."

Kurt reached out to shake Artie's hand. "You must be really pleased. The show was excellent."

Artie shrugged. "Couldn't have done it without your boy here. He's the heart of the show." Blaine blushed and shook his head in denial. "Don't deny it, B. It's true. All the reviews tomorrow will back me up. You'll see."

Blaine's blush deepened, but he just took a sip of his water.

"I'm going to take off," Artie announced. "I'll see you tomorrow, B." He held up a hand for Blaine to bump knuckles, then reached over and shook Kurt's hand again. "Nice meeting you, Kurt. Take care of your boy."

Across the table, Tina and Mike also stood. "We're going to get going too. We've got a long ride back to Brooklyn," Mike said.

Tina came over and kissed Blaine on the cheek, congratulating him again on an amazing performance. While Mike said goodbye to Blaine, Tina gave Kurt a hug. "You guys have something really special. I'm so glad you came back," she whispered in his ear.

Kurt smiled at her as she pulled away. After they had left, Blaine let his head rest on Kurt's shoulder. The room had mostly emptied out, with just a few non-cast members still chatting with Heather. Kurt wrapped his arm around Blaine and rubbed his shoulder. "Tired?" he asked.

Kurt could feel Blaine's curls tickling his neck as he nodded. Kurt pressed his head against Blaine's briefly, then gently shifted Blaine off of him. "Come on, superstar. Let's get you home."


	80. Chapter 80

When Blaine woke up the next morning and saw Kurt was already awake with a laptop perched on his knees, he rubbed his eyes in confusion. "Why are you already awake?"

Kurt looked over and leaned in to give him a kiss. "I'm reading the reviews."

Blaine sat up so quickly, he felt a little light-headed. "Crap. I was so focused on getting through opening night that I didn't even think about reviews. Are they terrible? Did people hate it?"

"Why don't I read some choice quotes for you?" Kurt replied, his face neutral.

"Oh, no, they're terrible, aren't they?" Blaine moaned.

"'…This new Heather James production is an absolute must-see. Newcomer Blaine Anderson dazzles as leading man Brad Simmons…'" Kurt read, a smile growing on his face.

"I dazzle?" Blaine repeated in awe.

"You dazzle," Kurt confirmed with a smile. He clicked the mouse, then started reading again. "'This is the first role for lead actor Blaine Anderson, but I have a feeling we'll be seeing much more of him for years to come…'"

Blaine slid closer to Kurt and rested his head on Kurt's shoulder, reading along with him as Kurt clicked to another site. "'It would not surprise me if this is one of many plays that makes the leap to Broadway and picks up a few Tonys once it does. An obvious candidate is breakout star Blaine Anderson, who stole the show with his performance as Brad Simmons…'" Kurt continued reading aloud.

"They liked it," Blaine breathed in wonder.

"Blaine, they  _loved_ it. There's not one bad review anywhere. And they especially loved you. Even the most negative review, which still calls the show 'a pleasant story,' gushes about how incredible you were. You blew them all away, Blaine."

Blaine cupped Kurt's face and pressed an excited kiss to Kurt's mouth. Then he pulled back abruptly. "I'm so sorry. Is this hard for you to read? I shouldn't be rubbing my success in your face like this. Sorry. I'm such a jerk. No wonder you broke up with me."

Kurt looked horrified. "Blaine Devon Anderson," he said sternly, "how many times do I have to tell you how incredibly proud of you I am? You deserve to be excited about your success, and I am the jerk for ever making you feel like you had to hide it from me, for any reason, and  _I_ am the one who is sorry for taking so long to figure this out. But I love you, so whatever we do, we do together. Today, we're celebrating you. Some day, it will be my turn, and we can celebrate me, but today is your turn, so you don't have to apologize for being amazing or for being happy. Okay?"

Blaine nodded. "Okay." He kissed Kurt tenderly. "What time are we meeting your dad?"

"I told him we could do brunch around 10:30, so you'd still have plenty of time to come home and get ready before the matinee."

Blaine looked over at the clock and frowned. "That only gives us an hour before we have to leave."

"Is that a problem?" Kurt asked.

"Yes. It doesn't leave me enough time to do all the things I'd like to do to you."

Kurt glared down at his cast. "If I didn't have this annoying thing, I'd say we could multitask, but I've barely figured out how to shower myself with one hand wrapped in a plastic bag, so I don't think my coordination could handle that."

"That reminds me that I still haven't killed Cooper for that," Blaine muttered.

"You can't kill your brother," Kurt replied. "He loves you."

Blaine sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know." Then he perked up. "Hey, do you think your dad would mind if we invited him to breakfast?"

"I think that's a great idea. Cooper would love that." Kurt eyed him suspiciously. "But I'm concerned that you seem a little too excited about it."

"Can't I just be excited to spend more time with my brother?" Blaine asked, giving Kurt his most innocent expression.

"Not that excited."

"But I am excited. Cooper and I bonded a lot yesterday, and I think we've come a long way in our relationship, so I'm happy to have the opportunity to spend some more time with him before he leaves tomorrow." Then Blaine grinned. "And if it happens to give me the opportunity to wake him up in the most obnoxious way possible, that's just a happy bonus."


	81. Chapter 81

Brunch with Burt and Cooper ended up going much better than Kurt had expected, especially considering how angry Cooper had been when Blaine had woken him up by slipping ice cubes down his shirt. Burt feigned the appropriate amount of interest in Cooper's fantastical stories about life as a soap opera actor. When that started to get too challenging, Burt mentioned how disappointed Carole would be when she heard she'd missed the opportunity to meet Cooper, even though Kurt knew for a fact that Carole only caught glimpses of Cooper's show when it happened to be on in the waiting room of the doctor's office where Carole worked and therefore probably wouldn't recognize Cooper in the slightest. Cooper had puffed up at the compliment and pulled a headshot and marker out of his bag, signing the picture with a showy flourish. Kurt tried not to laugh at Burt's expression of bewilderment as he clearly debated what to do with the picture, finally settling for tucking it under his chair.

After brunch, Kurt and Burt said goodbye to Blaine and Cooper and caught a cab to the airport, since Burt's flight was scheduled in a few hours. "I see everything worked out," Burt observed when they were comfortably settled in the backseat.

Kurt's face split into a broad grin as he nodded, and Burt smiled back. "It's good to see you so happy, kid. Much better than how you were earlier this week."

"I like it a lot better too," Kurt replied.

"Next time don't let it get so far before you talk to someone," Burt suggested. "I know you're used to being strong and independent, but you don't have to go it alone, kid. There are lots of people who care about you."

"I know, Dad."

Burt studied Kurt's face intently and seemed satisfied with what he saw there. "Blaine's brother seems like an interesting guy," he observed, changing the subject.

Kurt laughed. "You don't even know the half of it," he said, waving his cast as an illustration. He'd told his dad a severely edited PG-version of the story already.

Burt peered at the cast with interest. "What's that scribbling all over it?"

"Oh!" Kurt pushed back his sleeve and started talking his dad through some of Blaine's drawings.

After he'd finished going through some of his favorite drawings, Kurt lifted his head to look at his dad. Burt was looking at him with an indulgent smile. "What?" Kurt asked.

Burt shook his head as if it didn't matter. "Just observing how clear it is that your relationship is… what were those words you used? Doomed to fail?"

Kurt laughed. "I'm willing to admit I may have been a little overdramatic."

"Dramatic? That doesn't sound like you at all," Burt teased. Then he sobered. "I'm glad you worked things out. You two are good for each other, and I can tell how much you love him." His mouth turned up into a quick smile as he looked at the cast. "I'll always worry about you, because that's my job, but I know you're in really good hands."

Kurt slid across the bench seat of the taxi and wrapped his dad in a hug. "I love you, Dad."

"Love you too, Kurt."

They were getting close to the airport now, and Burt leaned forward to tell the cab driver the airline information. When they pulled up in front of the terminal, Kurt got out with his dad. "You take care of yourself, kid," Burt said, pulling Kurt in for a hug while the cab driver pulled Burt's luggage out of the trunk.

"You too, Dad," Kurt replied.

Burt pulled back and pressed a handful of cash into Kurt's hand.

"Dad!" Kurt protested.

"Don't even start with me. You didn't have to come out to the airport with me, and you've got an expensive cab ride home," Burt argued. Kurt tried to slip the money back into Burt's pocket, but Burt stepped away to thank the driver and collect his bag. With one final wave, he walked into the terminal.

Kurt got back in the cab and took it to Bushwick to continue working on packing for a few hours before he headed over to the theater to grab dinner with Blaine and then stay for the evening show. When the cab pulled up in front of his apartment building, Kurt leaned forward to pay the driver.

"Oh, no, your dad already took care of it," the driver said, holding up a stack of bills.

Kurt rolled his eyes. Of course his dad had. Kurt peeled a bill off the stack and gave it to the driver as a tip, even though he was sure his dad had left plenty for that too, before slipping out of the cab and into his building.

Rachel was out with friends for the afternoon, so Kurt turned up the music loud and danced his way through the apartment. By the time he caught the subway back to Manhattan to change and meet up with Blaine, he had gotten most of his bedroom packed up. He took a few bags with him to Blaine's, dropping them in the corner of his bedroom and changing into another fabulous suit.

As Kurt was on his way to the theater, he got a text from Blaine asking if Mike and Tina could join them for dinner. Kurt agreed, so they all met at a restaurant a few blocks away from the theater. Blaine still had an ecstatic post-show glow when he arrived, greeting Kurt with a kiss that was a little too enthusiastic for a public hello, but Kurt was willing to take the flush that spread up his cheeks in exchange for Blaine being so happy.

For the second time that day, Kurt found himself enjoying a great meal with very pleasant company. As Kurt had discovered the previous day, Mike and Tina were both friendly, warm people who were easy to get along with. Mike and Tina dashed off as soon as the bill was paid due to Tina getting an urgent text about a costume tear emergency, so Blaine and Kurt were left on their own to enjoy a leisurely walk back to the theater.

"You know, I never did thank you," Blaine said, swinging their linked hands back and forth as they walked.

Kurt laughed. "Blaine, you've thanked me like a million times since yesterday. I'm pretty sure you fell asleep repeatedly whispering thank you last night. I keep telling you, I had nothing to do with everyone showing up last night. They all came because they wanted to."

Blaine shook his head. "I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about this whole thing."

"What whole thing?"

Blaine gestured vaguely with his hands.

"I'm going to need words here, honey," Kurt said, giving him an amused look.

"The play. I never would have gotten here without you."

Kurt made a dismissive noise. "Blaine, I know you think I did this amazing thing, but you did most of the work. I just gave you a schedule, but you're a hardworking, talented, amazing guy. You could have gotten here on your own."

"No, I couldn't have," Blaine argued. When Kurt opened his mouth to protest, Blaine tugged him out of the sidewalk and into the mouth of a small alley between two buildings. He used his other hand to lightly hold the tips of Kurt's fingers that were exposed by the cast. "Kurt, when I met you, I was this bored, dissatisfied guy, trying to find fulfillment from a path I'd never intended to be on in the first place. I was hiding from myself and my fears, pretending that anonymously recording Youtube videos was enough to fill my need for music and performance."

Blaine's expression was soft and tender as he continued. "And then you came along, and you figured me out in a  _day_ , for God's sake, and you forced me to confront things and convinced me that maybe there was still a chance for me to be the guy I had always dreamed of being." Blaine squeezed Kurt's fingers gently. "And yes, you went above and beyond in helping me to prepare for the wedding, and you dropped everything to guide me through the audition preparation, and I am more grateful for that than I can express, but more than that, you gave me hope again. You helped me find  _me_ again."

Kurt's eyes felt a little watery as he surged forward and kissed Blaine. Conscious of their surroundings, he kept it far shorter and lighter than he would have liked. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against Blaine's and whispered, "All I did was love you, and it was the easiest thing I've ever done."


	82. Chapter 82

It took a couple weeks and several fights, but Blaine and Kurt finally fell into a routine that worked for both their schedules. With Kurt working days and Blaine working evenings, they tried to maximize as much time as they could together. Kurt made an effort to leave work early at least 2 days a week so he could eat dinner with Blaine. Blaine didn't linger after performances at the theater, trying to make it home before Kurt went to bed. One day a week, Blaine brought Kurt lunch at his office. They reserved Sunday evenings for date night, since it was the only night Blaine had off, and Kurt could afford to go in a little late on Mondays if needed. Some weeks, they got all dressed up and went out on the town, while other weeks, they got into their most comfortable sweatpants and cuddled on the couch for a movie or TV show marathon.

The show continued to go spectacularly well. Every night ended with a standing ovation, and tickets started becoming more and more popular as they generated more positive press coverage. When Blaine left the theater after the show, the number of people waiting outside the stage door continued to increase. It was a hectic, strenuous, and demanding, but Blaine was loving every minute. Even after months on stage, Blaine still arrived at the theater every day in a state of disbelief that he got paid to do what he loved, and he still left every night feeling like he was walking on clouds.

By the end of the summer, rumors started flying around backstage that the show would be moving to Broadway, but nobody had definitive dates, and everyone was too afraid of Heather to directly ask. While Blaine knew it would be incredible to move to Broadway, he was perfectly content to stay off-Broadway as well. By getting to perform every day, Blaine was living his dream. The details of where he was performing didn't matter as much.

Blaine didn't pay much attention to his press, but Kurt assured him that he was becoming very popular. According to Kurt, Blaine was well on his way to becoming a household name, "at least in theater-going households," Kurt had added with a laugh. Blaine had been asked to do interviews for several theater publications and a couple of blogs, but he was sure that Kurt was exaggerating Blaine's popularity, so he was surprised when Heather approached him after a show in late August.

"I'd like you to headline my annual fundraiser to support LGBTQ youth," she said without introduction.

"What?" Blaine asked in disbelief. Heather's annual fundraiser was fairly legendary. Lots of big names showed up, from theater stars to Hollywood celebs to popular politicians to local sports stars. It was one of the biggest events of the year, and Heather wanted him to headline?

Heather stared at him like she was worried he'd forgotten how to speak English. "I want you to headline my annual fundraiser," she repeated, more clearly enunciating each word.

"You want  _me_ to headline? Why?"

Heather looked even more displeased than usual. "You're already headlining my best-selling production. Why wouldn't I want you to headline my fundraiser?"

Blaine was still trying to process. "But… but…" he stuttered.

"If you are worried about this impacting your performance here, I have already cancelled the Sunday matinee that day, so it should not add a significant burden."

Blaine shook his head. "No, that wasn't what I was worried about," he said, still struggling to find words in his surprise.

Heather narrowed her eyes. "If this is about your pay, I assure you that you will be generously compensated for your appearance."

"Absolutely not," Blaine replied immediately. "I don't want to be paid. Keep the money for charity."

Heather's expression softened marginally. "You are accepting, then?"

"Yes. I would be honored," Blaine said.

Heather gave a curt nod, as if she approved of his response. "Email me a list of potential songs by the weekend so I can finalize your set list. I will introduce you to the band next week and set up a rehearsal schedule, though I expect you to be cognizant that you are still my leading man and be as gentle as possible on your voice. Despite your refusal of compensation, I will still have a contract drawn up and provide it to you tomorrow. Is that acceptable?"

"Sounds great," Blaine replied.

Heather reached out and shook his hand. "I expect you will do well," she said simply before turning and walking away.

As soon as she had left, Blaine hastily gathered his things and raced home as quickly as possible. He burst into the apartment, and Kurt looked up in surprise from the magazine he was perusing. "Are you okay?"

Blaine strode across the room and bent down to give him a deep kiss. "I've got plans for date night on the last Sunday in September," he announced when he pulled back.

Kurt's lips quirked in a slight smile. "I'm impressed. You're usually not very good at planning ahead."

Blaine was too excited to even react to Kurt's gentle barb. "Unfortunately, it will require us spending a significant portion of the evening apart."

Kurt frowned. "Blaine, maybe you don't quite understand the concept of date night. We're supposed to do something together, as a couple."

"Can I ask for an exception to that rule?" Blaine asked, wedging himself on the couch next to Kurt's legs.

"Depends on the reason."

Blaine grinned. "How's headlining Heather James's annual fundraiser?"

Kurt's mouth dropped open. "She asked you to headline?"

Blaine nodded.

"Blaine, that's so fantastic!" Kurt said, giving a little clap before he leaned forward to press a kiss to Blaine's mouth.

"Is that an acceptable reason for an exception?" Blaine asked.

Kurt bit his lower lip. "I suppose we can let this one slide, but just this once," he teased. Then his face changed into an expression of panic. "Oh my God. I only have a month to find the perfect suit!"


	83. Chapter 83

Kurt still couldn't believe he was at Heather James's annual fundraiser. Even more, he couldn't believe that his boyfriend was the headliner. They'd already enjoyed an amazing meal, and now Blaine was providing the post-meal entertainment. As always, Blaine was doing incredibly well. He looked completely comfortable up on stage, despite the very high-profile guests at the event. Blaine had just finished a fun-filled, high energy rendition of "It's Not Unusual." Kurt was familiar enough with Blaine's set list to know he was wrapping up.

Up on stage, Blaine waved his hand in acknowledgement of the applause echoing through the banquet hall. Once it had died down, he smiled. "Thank you all for coming out tonight. You all have been such a wonderful audience," he said into his microphone. "I think you've earned a little treat. What do you say we do something special for my last number?"

The audience cheered loudly in support, and Kurt grinned. His boyfriend was definitely in his element.

Blaine started crossing the stage to where Kurt was sitting. "As you all know, this event is all about supporting LGBTQ youth here in New York, providing them with the support and safety that they need to thrive. As an out gay kid growing up in Ohio, that was something I didn't always have. Even when I came to New York, I lacked a strong support system. There was nobody who was really, truly on my side, having my back, and it took me a long time to get to the point where I was comfortable chasing my dreams and going for what I truly wanted. But about a year and a half ago, I met Kurt." Blaine broke off with a grin as the audience let out a collective aw.

"Kurt has been… everything I ever hoped I would have someday, and more. There is no way I could have ever gotten to this stage without him. He has provided me with so much support and encouragement and helped me find the courage to pursue my dreams." Blaine paused as a few people in the audience cheered and aw-ed.

"But in addition to being the love of my life, Kurt is also an incredibly talented performer." Blaine had moved close enough to the edge of the stage that the lights weren't quite as blindingly in his face, and Kurt could see Blaine's slightly mischievous smile. Kurt's eyes were wide in shock as he figured out where Blaine was going with this.

Blaine winked at him, clearly realizing that Kurt had figured it out. "I was thinking is that maybe, if you all are very nice and encouraging, I could convince my incredibly talented boyfriend to come up here and join me in a duet."

The crowd immediately started to cheer in support, and Blaine smiled encouragingly. Kurt stood, feeling much like an actor did after an unexpected award win, and made his way to the stage. The crowd's cheering grew louder as Kurt ascended the stairs. Blaine extended a hand to pull Kurt toward the center of the stage.

"Hey, Naomi, can I get another mike?" Blaine called to the stage manager. Naomi immediately jogged out to the stage with one in her hand.

As Kurt accepted the microphone, Blaine turned back to the audience. "If you could just give us a second to confer here…" he said quickly into his microphone, before lowering it to talk to Kurt. "So, what do you want to sing?" he said quietly. "Only I should warn you right now that the only numbers I told the band to prepare were 'For Once In My Life' and 'Perfect,' so it kind of has to be one of those."

"You told the band to prepare?" Kurt repeated skeptically.

Blaine shrugged. "I may have planned this."

Kurt glared. "And you couldn't have mentioned it to me?"

Blaine grinned cheekily. "You love me," he reminded Kurt.

"I'm beginning to wonder why," Kurt grumbled.

Blaine kissed him on the cheek. "Song choice?"

"'For Once In My Life' fits better with your set list," Kurt said. Blaine jogged over to the band director to pass along the decision, then came back to stand next to Kurt as the band struck up the opening notes.

"For once in my life, I have someone who needs me," Blaine started, grinning over at Kurt, "someone I've needed so long."

"For once, unafraid, I can go where life leads me, and somehow I know I'll be strong," Kurt sang back.

"For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of…" they dueted, their voices coming together in perfect harmony, just as they always had.

They continued trading off verses, switching seamlessly back and forth. After the first verse, Kurt was over the shock of being on stage unexpectedly and started throwing himself into his performance. He and Blaine moved and twirled around the stage in perfect sync. The audience started clapping in time with the beat, clearly being swept up in the performance. The second the song ended, they erupted into applause, rising to their feet in a standing ovation. Kurt giggled slightly and joined Blaine in the center of the stage, giving a slightly crooked curtsy while Blaine bowed. Blaine smiled over at Kurt, then shoved him further into the spotlight. The audience's cheers got louder, and Kurt waved and curtsied again before stepping back to link hands with Blaine for one final bow. Blaine used his free hand to blow a kiss to the audience, then led Kurt off the stage.

"Oh my gosh, that was incredible," Kurt gushed as they stumbled almost drunkenly backstage, their faces flushed with adrenaline.

"I knew it would be," Blaine gloated smugly.

Kurt nudged him in the shoulder in a chastising manner, but his smile was shining too brightly for Blaine to take him seriously. "I love you so much," Kurt said, leaning in and planting a sloppy kiss on Blaine's mouth. "You're so amazing."

"I love you too," Blaine replied, leading the way back toward his dressing room. "And you're the one who's…"

"Blaine Anderson!" a harsh voice called, popping the happy bubble Kurt and Blaine had been in. Heather James was striding down the hall toward them, her heels clacking loudly on the floor as she closed the distance between them.

"She doesn't look very happy," Kurt muttered, looking nervous.

"I may have forgotten to mention this to her too," Blaine replied with a grin.

"Blaine!" Kurt hissed. "She's going to kill you!"

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand in reassurance. "She won't kill me. She needs me."

"Then she'll kill me!" Kurt said, starting to slip his hand free in case he needed to make a quick escape.

Blaine tightened his grip on Kurt's hand. "She's not going to kill anyone. Deep down, she's a huge softie," Blaine assured Kurt.

Kurt wasn't convinced as Heather appeared in front of them, glaring at Blaine. "Blaine Anderson," she repeated again, her tone still harsh.

"Heather, I'm sorry, I know I didn't…" Blaine began to apologize.

Heather held up her hand, glancing between him and Kurt. Blaine appeared to be steeling himself for whatever was coming next, and Kurt was pretty sure he was about to watch his boyfriend get fired, despite Blaine's cocky assertions. "Blaine Anderson," Heather repeated for the third time, "why the hell didn't you tell me your boyfriend could sing like that?"

Blaine clearly hadn't been prepared for that. "Um… what?" he replied ineloquently. Kurt was pretty sure his mouth was just hanging wide open, so he gave Blaine credit for even being able to speak.

"Do you know how  _impossible_  is to find a good countertenor in this town? A real, true countertenor, not some poseur trying to convince me that his weak falsetto is his real singing voice?  _Impossible._  Do you have any idea how long I have been looking?" Heather yelled angrily, glaring at Blaine.

Blaine opened his mouth to answer, but Heather just kept talking. " _Years_. I have been looking for  _years_ , and you've had one hidden this whole time!" Then she turned to Kurt. "You. My office, Tuesday morning, 8 AM sharp. Get an agent. Understood?"

Kurt nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Heather turned back to Blaine and shook her head in disappointment. "This whole damn time," she muttered, spinning on her heel and striding away as quickly as she had come.

When she was out of earshot, Blaine let out a laugh of excitement and disbelief. He reached out and pulled Kurt into his arms. He swung Kurt in a circle, and Kurt let out a little squeal of excitement. As he set Kurt back on his feet, their lips crashed together.

"Kurt…" Blaine whispered in awe and wonder.

Kurt leaned forward and kissed Blaine again, unable to contain all the emotions he was feeling. As he pulled back, his eyes twinkled playfully. "Bet I get a Tony before you do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last official chapter - all that's left is an epilogue!
> 
> A couple of thank yous are in order. 
> 
> First, to the real life couple I met briefly who actually met through a karaoke duet, if you ever happen to find this story, thanks for the incredible inspiration, sorry I stole your meet-cute, and I hope you're living happily ever after too.
> 
> Second, to all the other authors and artists in the Klaine fandom, thanks for continuing to produce amazing works to keep me inspired and gave me enough feels to keep this work going.
> 
> Finally, to all of you, thanks for reading and commenting on this story. Special shout-out to the people who followed along on FF as I was writing and kept me going with their comments and messages. I've had a lot of fun writing, and I hope you've had a lot of fun reading!


	84. Epilogue

Blaine stepped through the back door of Warblers into the alley and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He hadn't checked it in a while, and he grinned as he scrolled through the series of texts from Kurt, amused at the increasingly panicked tone.

"I still can't believe Santana's making us come to this," the first one read.

The next was longer. "We've only been to the bar like 4 times this year. Of course we lost the bet. We shouldn't even be counted in the bet."

"You're still meeting me there, right?" the third read.

When Blaine hadn't answered, he'd sent another. "You better not be standing me up. Just because she doesn't have blackmail material over you doesn't mean you get to leave me there by myself."

His final text had come in a few minutes ago. "I'm leaving now. Your lack of answer is freaking me out. If you're not there when I get there, I hope you enjoyed last night, because that's the last sex you're ever getting."

"I'm here," Blaine typed, "and I can't believe you think I would be cruel enough to abandon you when Santana is involved."

Instead of receiving another text, Blaine's phone rang with an incoming call from Kurt. The moment Blaine answered, Kurt started talking. "Sorry. You know how terrified this whole event makes me. Even after years of her annual gloating event to remind us all that we suck at guessing how many people will request Journey, I never know what fresh horror Santana will concoct."

"I know. I'm here though, and I'll make sure Santana isn't too weird."

Kurt barked out a laugh. "No human alive could do that. I'm just getting into the subway, though, so I'm going to lose you. See you soon?"

"Absolutely. Love you," Blaine said.

"Love you too," Kurt replied automatically before he hung up.

After he slipped the phone back in his pocket, Blaine took another deep breath of the cold winter air, trying to center himself. He'd been performing off-Broadway for over a year and a half now, and his show was finally about to make his transition to Broadway in a few weeks, but today's performance in this tiny hole-in-the-wall bar was far more nerve-wracking than any Broadway stage could ever be. His entire future was riding on this.

The door behind him creaked open. "Having second thoughts?" Burt Hummel asked, joining him in the alley.

"Of course not," Blaine answered.

"Good. Because I would hate to think that Carole and I flew out here for the second time in two weeks just for you to change your mind," Burt said.

Blaine immediately started apologizing. "I'm sorry about that. I know you guys were just here for the holidays, but I couldn't figure out a better time. With Kurt's schedule on Broadway, and my show moving there in a few weeks…"

"Blaine. That was a bad attempt at a joke. Stop apologizing," Burt ordered.

"Sorry…" Blaine started automatically, and Burt raised his eyebrows and gave Blaine a very pointed look. Blaine smiled and shrugged.

Burt rubbed his hands together. "It's cold out here."

Blaine nodded. "Yeah, it is. We should head back inside." He started turning back toward the door to pull it open.

Burt rested a hand on Blaine's shoulder to stop him. "Can I say something first?"

"Of course."

Burt took his hand off Blaine's shoulder, but he maintained eye contact. "I just want to say thank you for loving my kid so much. I always told Kurt that he had to find someone as open and brave as he was when he was growing up, and I'm glad he was able to do just that."

Blaine felt a little choked up, so instead of saying anything, he reached forward and hugged Burt. "Thanks, Burt," he finally said as he pulled back.

"Don't you think it's time you start calling me Dad?" Burt corrected.

Blaine smiled. "It's a little early for that. I haven't asked him yet."

Burt waved his hand dismissively. "We both know he's going to say yes," he replied as he pulled open the door and gestured for Blaine to enter. They walked down the short hall past the restrooms back to the bar, and Burt clapped him on the shoulder. "Good luck, and welcome to the family, kid." He walked across the room to join Carole.

Blaine started heading for the stage, stopping to say hello to a few friends who had just arrived. He smiled at Dani, who was behind the bar lining up rows of champagne flutes while Santana tended bar. He shook hands with Mike, who was at the bar getting water for himself and his very pregnant wife, and swung by their table to give Tina a kiss on the cheek. He waved to Wes and Quinn, who were settling into a table by the stage. He accepted a very exuberant hug from Cooper, who took the opportunity to whisper some last-minute performance tips into Blaine's ear, and exchanged a fist-bump with Sam, smiling at the way Sam's new wedding ring glistened on his finger. Up on stage, Mercedes's matching ring flashed as she finished setting up her equipment.

Blaine climbed the stairs and stopped by her table. "Thanks for coming back to do this for me."

Mercedes rolled her eyes. "As if I'd be anywhere else." She took a step back and surveyed her table. "Is it weird that I almost miss this?"

"Is it weird that a Grammy-winning artist just back from her world tour misses running the karaoke machine in a little dive bar?" Blaine asked teasingly.

Mercedes swatted playfully at his arm. "Okay, it's weird. But I do kind of miss it."

Blaine leaned across the table to kiss her on the cheek. "Well, then, I'm glad I could provide you with the opportunity to relive your glory days," he replied, which made Mercedes laugh.

Out of the corner of his eye, Blaine caught a flash of motion as Rachel ran into the bar from the front door, having appointed herself as lookout. "He's here!" she yelled loudly.

"Okay, people, places!" Cooper called, and Blaine rolled his eyes. It was so Cooper to act like this was all a huge, staged performance that he was directing.

"Good luck," Mercedes whispered with a wink as Blaine stepped toward the center of the stage, straightening his bow tie and running his hands quickly down his shirt to smooth out any wrinkles.

A few seconds later, Kurt appeared at the entrance of the bar, unwinding a scarf from his neck. When he caught sight of the bar full of people, he froze. The room had gone completely quiet, so Blaine could clearly make out Kurt's voice. "What's going on?" Kurt's wide eyes darted around the room, taking in everyone who was there, before settling on Blaine. Even with a room full of people separating them, Blaine could feel the warmth of Kurt's gaze. Obviously Kurt had already figured out what was happening, but Blaine knew Kurt would play along.

Kurt finished removing his scarf and slid off his jacket, and Rachel darted forward to collect them. As he strode toward the stage, Kurt's eyes never left Blaine's. Up close, Blaine could see they were already starting to glisten with tears. Blaine crossed the stage to meet Kurt at the top of the stairs. "Excuse me, but I believe you stole my song."

Kurt grinned. " _Your_ song?" he echoed, playing his part beautifully. Blaine was gratified to know he wasn't the only one who'd memorized that first conversation.

Blaine nodded. "Don't worry, though. I have a proposition."

"A proposition?" Kurt repeated.

"Yes. A proposition. I was hoping you might let me sing the duet with you," Blaine continued, changing the original dialogue a little to fit the scene.

Kurt acted surprised. "You want to sing a duet with me?"

"If you wouldn't mind," Blaine answered.

Kurt pretended to be thinking about it. "Okay. You can sing with me."

Blaine smiled and gestured to the microphones, and Kurt took his position. Perfectly on cue, Mercedes started the track. "Never knew I could feel like this. It's like I've never seen the sky before," Blaine began, much more confidently than he had the first time they had sung together.

As Blaine made his way through the first verse, he saw a few tears slipping down Kurt's cheek, but Kurt's voice was perfectly steady when he joined in. Just like in their first duet, their voices blended in perfect harmony, and Blaine reached out to join their hands. This time, though, he didn't have to pretend to be singing to the love of his life to be convincing. He just let all the love in his heart spill over into his performance, laying it all out on the stage for everyone to see.

When the song was over, Kurt put his microphone back in the stand and wiped at some tears with his free hand. Blaine took Kurt's other hand in both of his. "You know, I have another proposition."

This time, Kurt couldn't contain his smile. "Another proposition?" he repeated.

Blaine lowered himself to one knee. "Kurt Hummel, you are my best friend, my soulmate, and the love of my life. I promise you that I will always love you, and defend you, and support you, and cherish you, and call you out when you're being an unreasonable diva," Kurt laughed wetly, "and most of all, I promise that I will spend every day of the rest of my life reminding you just how perfectly imperfect you are and how much you are loved." He paused to slip the ring out of his pocket, and held it up to Kurt. "Will you marry me?"

Kurt was nodding emphatically before Blaine even finished the question. "Yes. Yes, I will," he said.

Tears started streaming down Blaine's face too as he slipped the ring onto Kurt's finger, before standing up and pulling his fiancé into his arms for a deep, lingering kiss. Offstage, the bar was filled with cheers and applause, but Blaine didn't notice any of it. He was too wrapped up in Kurt.

When they finally pulled apart, Mercedes was there, wrapping them both in a group hug. Then she dragged them off the stage, where everyone was waiting to congratulate them. When the hugging finally subsided, Santana and Dani started passing around flutes of champagne. Cooper stood up like he was going to make a toast, and Blaine steeled himself for something truly embarrassing, but he was spared when Burt Hummel quickly raised his glass and called out, "To the happy couple!" Blaine looked over at him in gratitude, and Burt winked.

After everyone had drunk their champagne, Mercedes jumped back on stage to put on some background music and start taking karaoke requests. Cooper and Rachel immediately raced to the stage while everyone else went back to chatting amongst themselves. Anticipating the huge fight that was about to erupt between his brother and Kurt's best friend over who got to perform first, Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and tugged him off to the side of the bar into a quiet corner.

Kurt faced Blaine and wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist. "I can't believe you used Santana's intimidation to lure me to my own proposal."

"I didn't know how else to get you here without making you suspicious," Blaine defended.

"And you decided having me panic for a week over all the potential ways Santana could humiliate me was the best approach?"

Blaine shrugged. "I tried?"

Kurt rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. "I love you," he said as he leaned in.

Blaine hummed happily into the kiss, his heart filled to bursting with love for the incredible man in his arms. He was just to deepen the kiss when Kurt pulled back, glancing at their surroundings. "Later," Kurt promised quietly, giving Blaine an apologetic look. Then his gaze suddenly sharpened.

"What's the matter?" Blaine asked in concern.

"Tell me my eyes are lying to me and you are not wearing the fireworks bowtie right now," Kurt said, staring at Blaine's neck.

"Of course I'm wearing the fireworks bowtie right now."

"I thought you finally got rid of that thing! I haven't seen it in the closet in months!"

Blaine grinned. "I saw you eyeing it suspiciously, and I knew it wasn't safe anymore, so I put it somewhere special."

"Oh my God. I am burning that thing the minute we get home. I cannot believe you still own that hideous thing."

"I keep telling you, it's festive!"

"How is it festive? It's not even remotely seasonally appropriate. It's the middle of January. There won't be fireworks for another six months."

"That's not true," Blaine argued. "There are fireworks every time I kiss you."

Kurt let out a loud laugh. He leaned forward and kissed Blaine again, this time more deeply despite the surroundings. Blaine could feel the love and happiness radiating out of Kurt, and it perfectly reflected his own feelings. "Promise me one thing," Kurt murmured a little breathlessly as he pulled back.

"Anything," Blaine replied.

Kurt's mouth curved up into a smile. "You can keep the bowtie…" Blaine's face lit up at the surprising victory "…as long as you don't wear it to our wedding."

Blaine grinned back.  _Wedding._ He was going to have a  _wedding_ with the most incredible, talented, amazing man on the entire planet. It was fate that had brought him to this unassuming karaoke bar almost three years ago, and he couldn't wait to see where life would take him - no,  _them_ \- next.

Kurt was still smiling tenderly at Blaine, waiting for a response. "Deal," Blaine said, leaning forward to seal it with a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of this story, but I'm not necessarily done with this 'verse. I'm definitely open to taking prompts for one-shots in this 'verse, and I may just post some of my own too.
> 
> Thanks again for reading!


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